Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Exclusive: BCBG exploring sale, may fetch $1 billion - sources

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fashion house BCBG Max Azria Group Inc, whose clothing has been worn by celebrities such as Beyonce and Angelina Jolie, is exploring a potential sale that could fetch around $1 billion, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The company, which owns the BCBGeneration, Max Azria and Herve Leger lines, is being advised by Blackstone Group on the sale process, said the people, who declined to be named because the talks are private.

The Los Angeles-based clothing company, founded and run by fashion designer Max Azria, was not immediately available to comment. Blackstone declined to comment.

BCBG could attract interest from other fashion companies or private equity firms, the people said.

Azria is a French fashion designer of Tunisian descent. He launched the brand in 1989, naming it for the French phrase 'bon chic, bon genre,' which means 'good style, good attitude'.

(Reporting By Olivia Oran and Martinne Geller in New York, Editing by Soyoung Kim)

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Jennifer Lawrence's clothes from "Silver Linings" up for auction

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Clothing worn by Jennifer Lawrence in her Oscar-winning role as an outspoken young widow in comedy 'Silver Linings Playbook' went up for auction on Tuesday, just two days after the Academy Awards ceremony.

Memorabilia dealer Nate D. Sanders put the skin-tight white dance pants, winter coat and sports bra Lawrence wore in the film up for sale in the online auction that will end on Thursday.

The items are expected to fetch between $500 and $1,500 following the 22-year-old's Best Actress win on Sunday.

'She's now on the record for having an Academy Award, which definitely gives it (the items) status now,' said Laura Yntema, spokeswoman for auction house Nate D. Sanders.

'The Hunger Games' star also won awards from the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild in January for her 'Silver Linings Playbook' performance.

Five items, either worn by Lawrence or from her wardrobe on the film, are up for auction with starting bids at $100.

They include the custom-tailored skin-tight white pants Lawrence wore during the film's climactic ballroom dance scene with co-star Bradley Cooper.

The black, full-length double-breasted Moda International wool coat is a size six. The teal sports bra by Gap Body will be sold together with an extra-small blue Threads 4 Thought long-sleeved shirt.

The auction also has nine clothing items either worn or from the wardrobe of Cooper, and two items from the wardrobe of supporting actor Chris Tucker.

Movie studios often hand off costumes to auction houses, where even small outfits can fetch high prices from fans and collectors.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Walsh)

Dark looks rule the Milan catwalks for autumn/winter season

MILAN (Reuters) - Fashion designers at Milan fashion week delivered a dark palette and masculine styles for autumn-winter wardrobes in a reflection of Italy's bleak economic and political landscape.

Giorgio Armani, Gucci and Roberto Cavalli were among the fashion houses whose darkly colored catwalk collections for the 2013-14 autumn/winter season catwalk shows evoked the anxiety over grim expectations for Italian fashion sales, worries over European economic health and uncertainty over domestic politics.

Designer Miuccia Prada, whose sleek collections are eagerly awaited at the Milan week, chose a post-industrial setting to present her look for a modern woman hemmed in by the grim realities of life since an economic downturn began in 2008.

'It seems to me that in the contemporary world you cannot let yourself go completely,' Prada said after her show.

Armani re-worked a masculine style for a collection that included suspenders and jumpsuits in black velvet accessorized with black berets.

'We must create clothes that women wear,' Armani said backstage from a show attended by Princess Charlene of Monaco.

Luxury retailers have fared better than other industries during the prolonged recession in southern Europe thanks to demand from wealthy travelers from Asia, the Middle East and Russia.

But global sales of Italian fashion - including those of smaller brands hit hard by the crisis - are expected to fall by 3.5 percent this year after dropping 5.4 percent in 2012, textile and fashion body Sistema Moda Italia (SMI) said.

Designers expressed concerns about stability in Italy, where the uncertain outcome of parliamentary elections held during the fashion week rekindled fears of a new euro zone debt crisis.

'We need infrastructures to attract tourists but we also need a long-term government for such long-term measures,' said Michele Norsa, chief executive of Salvatore Ferragamo.

SCULPTED BEAUTY

Gucci designer Frida Giannini offered jackets narrowed at the waist with egg-shaped shoulders and worn over pencil skirts below the knee. A mostly pragmatic look designed for work.

Giannini, who is going to have her first baby in a couple of weeks, used colors like purple, rust, moss green and dark blue for a femme fatale she said was 'steely yet sexy'.

If colors were dark, materials were bold.

Neoprene, lurex and vinyl surfaced everywhere, with Versace delivering the most daring looks in a rock-and-roll show.

Creative head Donatella Versace showed ankle-length silk dresses with vinyl details contouring the body, while oversized coats came in bright yellow and black-and-white colors.

Designers reserved their boldest ideas for accessories, where sales have risen during the recession because they are more affordable in price and can be used for more than a season.

'Sales of my accessories are growing,' Armani said, after showing shoes with sculpted heels and a variety of handbags.

Versace opted for silver spikes on chain necklaces and studded boots, while Roberto Cavalli crafted necklaces in the shape of snakes and roses and large earring enveloping the ears.

Dolce & Gabbana, who drew inspiration from Byzantine mosaics, had shoes with inlaid sculpted heels, capped their models with golden crowns and draped them in jewels.

Other trends for next winter include zips, seen at Etro, pleated skirts from Blumarine, and a return of padded shoulders.

(Reporting by Antonella Ciancio)

Monday, February 25, 2013

Pale blush, sparkle and gold grace Oscars red carpet

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ethereal, strapless silhouettes and wavy tresses gave the Oscars red carpet a patina of old Hollywood glamour on Sunday as the year's top actresses and presenters led the way in blush, grey and black sequined gowns.

'There were no misses this year, everyone had very good taste,' said Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor at Harper's Bazaar.

'Silver Linings Playbook' Best Actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence, 22, wowed critics with her off-white Christian Dior Couture strapless gown with a full-tiered skirt and a long necklace dropping down her back.

The actress, who is the face of Christian Dior's Miss Dior brand and has been wearing the designer to the awards leading up to the Oscars, said it was the only dress she tried on for the event.

Fellow Dior brand ambassador Charlize Theron wore a white strapless couture gown from the French fashion house.

Halterneck column gowns were a popular trend on the red carpet as stars opted for a long and lean silhouette this year.

'Les Miserables' star Amanda Seyfried opted for a pale grey and lilac embroidered Alexander McQueen halterneck dress, while her co-star and Best Supporting Actress winner Anne Hathaway received mixed reviews for her blush pink Prada halterneck satin strapless gown with a daring low back.

In an interview on the red carpet Hathaway quipped, 'it's business in the front and party in the back.'

Hathaway 'had a shade of Audrey Hepburn in her pastel Prada,' with her cropped pixie cut, Graham said.

Blush and nude hues were a hot trend on the runways for spring and were echoed in the clean palettes on this year's Oscar red carpet.

'The Master' supporting actress nominee Amy Adams stunned crowds in a strapless pale grey full-skirted tulle Oscar de la Renta gown, while last year's supporting actress winner Octavia Spencer wore a blush Tadashi Shoji number.

Zoe Saldana's white strapless bustier Alexis Mabille dress was offset by grey underlays peeking out.

Contrasting the off-white gowns were the actresses picking gold, gunmetal greys and bright colors that stood out on the red carpet at Hollywood's Dolby Theater.

Jessica Chastain, nominated for Best Actress for 'Zero Dark Thirty,' channeled golden-age Hollywood glamour with a deep gold sequined Armani Prive strapless dress, accessorizing with soft side waves in her auburn hair.

STRONG SILHOUETTES, SEQUINED GLAMOUR

Hal Rubenstein, editor-at-large at InStyle, said this year's red carpet choices showed 'restraint,' with trends for strong silhouettes paired with old Hollywood glamour.

'The shapes were really strong yet simple, not over-adorned ... it was a real harmonious look from top to bottom,' Rubenstein said, naming Jennifer Hudson in navy Roberto Cavalli, Nicole Kidman in black sequined column L'Wren Scott, and Chastain's gold strapless Armani as his top picks.

Metallic sparkle was another big trend on the red carpet, with Naomi Watts, Best Actress nominee for 'The Impossible,' leading the way in a gunmetal sequined one-shouldered Giorgio Armani gown.

Catherine Zeta Jones, in a gold sequined Zuhair Murad gown and Halle Berry in a strong-shouldered silver and black striped Versace fitted gown, followed suit.

Quvenzhane Wallis, the 9-year-old actress competing with Best Actress nominees Lawrence, Watts, Chastain and Emmanuelle Riva, accessorized her navy sparkling Armani gown with a fluffy puppy purse.

'The Sessions' Supporting Actress nominee Helen Hunt shunned high-end designers to wear retail brand H&M in a navy blue strapless gown, stunning fashionistas with her choice.

'Lincoln' Supporting Actress nominee Sally Field added color to the red carpet in a full-sleeved vibrant red Valentino dress.

Reese Witherspoon stood out in a strapless cobalt blue Louis Vuitton gown, 'Django Unchained' star Kerry Washington wowed critics with her coral and blush Miu Miu dress and Jennifer Garner, holding husband Ben Affleck's hand, wore an eggplant purple strapless flowing Gucci gown.

(Editing by Mary Milliken and Stacey Joyce)

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Italian designers celebrate sartorial craft at Milan shows

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian designers put craftsmanship before reckless glamour at the Milan fashion week, in a bid to defend their tailoring tradition in the face of global competition.

Fashion houses PPR's Bottega Veneta, Roberto Cavalli and Ermanno Scervino on Saturday proposed sculpted flannel coats and steel-embroidered dresses for their 2013-14 autumn-winter collections.

'I am based in Florence because this is where I find a know-how that I don't find anywhere else,' Scervino told Reuters in the backstage of his packed show.

Both Scervino and Cavalli dedicated their events to Florence, a city famous for its artisanal leather goods, also the signature lines of Italian fashion giants Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci.

'What does art represent for a Florentine? A sense of place, a form of nostalgia, a necessity, a consequence,' Cavalli said in a statement to accompany his show, attended by American singer Janet Jackson.

The Florence-based designer, known for his leather-fringed dresses in animal prints, said he was inspired by floral motifs by 16th century painter Caravaggio for his classic collection.

The city of Florence was also projected on the backdrop of Scervino's catwalk, where models wore masculine grey flannel coats cut close to the waist to add femininity.

Tomas Maier, creative director at Bottega Veneta, cut vertical lines into thick flannel coats to add movement to the sculpted forms.

'The collection is about proportion, precision, ease, and the simple beauty of the material,' Maier said in a statement.

Bottega Veneta, whose 'intrecciato' woven leather bags are priced from around 5,000 euros, also explores new uses of fabric to make unique pieces.

Italian fashion houses, the world's biggest producers of luxury goods with France, are renowned for their craftsmanship but they are facing a shortage of skilled workers which is putting their historic brands at a competitive disadvantage with low-cost production centres.

At the same time, cheaper production centres in Asia and Africa are improving as buyers from developing economies develop a taste for high-quality goods.

(Reporting by Antonella Ciancio; Editing by Rosalind Russell)

Friday, February 22, 2013

Pashmina goats perishing in heavy snow on Indian frontier

Jammu, India, Feb 22 - Thousands of Pashmina goats may have perished in recent heavy snowfall around the nomadic areas of Changthang on the Sino-Indian frontier of the Ladakh region, officials said on Friday.

The area is a production hub for the finest quality of Pashmina (Kashmir) wool in India and is used in manufacturing of popular Kashmiri shawls sold across the world.

'We have no information of several places in the area. Many places are still snowbound and inaccessible. There is no communication link with them', said Tsering Samphel, a former lawmaker from the region.

'Since 1962, this is an unprecedented snowfall in the area and it has severely affected our nomadic way of life and livestock. Pashmina goats who get impregnated before the onset of winter have also perished,' he added.

'We may face (an) acute shortage of Pashmina wool this year'.

He said up to 10,000 domesticated animals including Pashmina goats have perished due fodder shortages and the freezing cold.

'About 1,000 quintals (100,000 kg) of fodder was dispatched immediately by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) to the affected areas but the same could not be distributed due to snow bound pastures where these animals are scattered these days', said Samphel.

He said the federal Ministry of Textiles had earmarked 40 million rupees last year for nutrition supplement to save Pashmina goats during pregnancy and to meet such exigencies.

This money, Samphel said, helped in procuring about ten thousand quintals of cattle feed, 2,500 quintals of barley and 3,000 quintals of alfalfa fodder for the purpose.

(Reporting by Ashok Pahalwan, editing by Paul Casciato)

Authorities checking if wreck found is Missoni plane: report

ROME (Reuters) - Authorities are checking if a wreck found on a beach of the island of Curacao could be that of a plane carrying fashion executive Vittorio Missoni which disappeared last month, Italian news wire Ansa reported on Friday, citing local sources.

Missoni, the eldest son of the founders of the Missoni fashion house, disappeared with his wife and four others when their plane went missing off the coast of Venezuela in early January.

Italian investigators later said the airline that owned the plane was not fully licensed to operate and that the pilot's license had expired more than a month before the flight.

(Reporting by Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Stephen Jewkes and Pravin Char)

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Prada mixes romantic and urban for "raw elegance" in Milan

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian fashion house Prada ventured in a new post-industrial world for her introvert woman at Milan fashion week on Thursday.

The trend-setting designer, whose collections are closely-watched by fashion critics, mixed romantic and urban looks for a refined style she called 'raw elegance'.

'What preoccupies me is impossibility. Women cannot be romantic, you have to be politically correct. There are so many restrictions,' Miuccia Prada said in the backstage of her show.

The designer created skirts with irregular hems of different lengths and fabrics, while tops were worn open on the shoulders. Other models wore chequered, romantic dresses with ample skirts.

Assisted by design studio AMO, Prada turned its show space into an industrial landscape where the audience took seat on an irregular wooden island at the center. A romantic landscape was projected on the walls alongside shadows of industrial devices.

'We wanted to express what women think,' Prada told reporters after the show.

The designer created handbags in tweed, giving a sporty touch to luxury items.

The Hong-Kong listed fashion house, which competes with LVMH's Louis Vuitton and PPR's Gucci, said on Tuesday preliminary revenues rose 29 percent to 3.3 billion euros ($4.36 billion) for the 12 months ended in January.

The company declined to comment on Thursday on media reports that it may buy Milan's renowned coffee house Cova, located in Via Montenapoleone, in the heart of the fashion district.

($1 = 0.7563 euros)

(Reporting by Antonella Ciancio; Editing by Jason Webb)

Roberto Cavalli revamps youthful line at Milan fashion week

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian glamorous designer Roberto Cavalli on Thursday reinvented prints and shapes to breathe new energy in his youthful line and seduce new generations of globe-trotters.

Designers at the Milan fashion week presented bold creations on the second day of the 2013-14 autumn/winter shows, in a reaction to economic and political uncertainty in Italy.

The Florentine designer, whose animal prints and skinny leather-fringed jeans have been worn by actress Jennifer Lopez and model Cindy Crawford, said he personally oversaw the collection he is relaunching with Diesel founder Renzo Rosso.

'I wanted to show to all my fans all over the world that Roberto Cavalli is back,' the designer told Reuters television on the stage of his packed show at the Arch of Peace, a landmark monument in central Milan he is contributing to restore.

Wearing a dark blue jacket and a sweater in matching color over a pair of jeans, Cavalli said he found inspiration from a woman he saw walking in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.

'I speak to all the girls from 15 to 100 years old, a girl that loves the femininity as her personality,' the designer said while keeping his inseparable German shepherd dog Lupo at leash.

Cavalli proposed large sweaters in jacquard animal prints and jackets with fur-lined hoods, with a mix of elegance and sporty styles to give models a contemporary look.

Young-focused lines, that the fashion industry used to call 'second' lines to distinguish them from top lines, are playing a more important role in the fashion business as they cater to young consumers who spend less but demand something exclusive.

GLAMOUR TOUCH

Similarly to Prada's MiuMiu, Versace's Versus or Giorgio Armani's Emporio Armani, fashion houses are reinventing these brands by opening dedicated stores and hosting glitzy shows.

Georgia May Jagger, the blonde daughter of Rolling Stone rocker Mick Jagger, is testimonial for Just Cavalli.

'I love sometimes to be the director of this orchestra but today I directed but also played the instruments, which means I did nearly all the collection by myself,' Cavalli said.

Just Cavalli's sales will return to growth in 2013 after being hit hard by financial troubles at previous licensed manufacturer IT Holding, the group's chief executive said.

'We know that Just Cavalli started very well this year,' CEO Giuseppe Brozzetti told Reuters on the sidelines of the show, where models wore fitting pants with coats in matching prints.

The group will open a Just Cavalli flagship store in New York in May, followed by a launch event during the New York fashion week in September, Brozzeti said.

In 2012, the group reported a 4 percent increase in sales to 185 million euros.

Sales at directly-operated stores in the first months of this year were growing in line with last year, when they rose 23.4 percent, Brozzetti said.

Excluding the impact from new stores, sales last year rose 18 percent, helped by foreign markets, where Cavalli exports most of its production.

At another show on Thursday, designer Anna Molinari presented a British-inspired collection for her Blugirl line, which also targets young customers.

(Additional reporting by Rollo Ross; Editing by Roger Atwood)

Greenpeace, anti-fur protest confront Milan fashion shows

MILAN (Reuters) - Environmental groups staged colorful demonstrations during the first two days of the Milan fashion week to protest against the use of toxic chemicals and furs in designer garments.

Catwalk shows traditionally have offered a stage for activists campaigning in defense of wildlife and the environment, but growing demand for colored furs and washed denim jeans has fuelled more vigorous protests.

On Thursday, a woman activist tried to interrupt the show of Just Cavalli, the youth-oriented line by Roberto Cavalli, approaching the catwalk with a banner reading 'Your fashion, their death'.

The woman, whose banner was signed 'visoniliberi.org' and was intended as a protest against Cavalli's use of fur in clothes other than those at the show, was photographed by news media before she was pulled away by staff.

Greenpeace on Wednesday rolled down a 12-m (yard-)-long green banner in the shape of a glove along the Sforzesco Castle, a Milan's landmark site, as part of its 'fashion duel' campaign.

The environmental group is asking luxury goods makers to divulge details about their manufacturing policies and make commitments to preserving Amazon forests and water resources.

'We hope to create an open dialogue with Greenpeace, aimed at an enduring, shared commitment for the sustainability of the planet,' Italy's National Fashion Chamber said in a statement.

Fifteen brands including Valentino, Dior, Gucci, Giorgio Armani and Versace have been asked by Greenpeace to say whether they buy leather from cattle that are linked to destruction of the Amazon, or use chemicals that can damage waterways.

Greenpeace deems the responses so far received by the brands unsatisfactory, with only Valentino getting their full approval.

Sales of fur reached record highs last year, according to the International Fur Trade Federation (IFTF), as China's growing appetite for luxury goods put the once-taboo material back on the catwalks.

Visoniliberi.org calls for the abolition of fur farming.

(Reporting by Antonella Ciancio; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Actresses walking Oscar's red carpet to exude sophistication, not sex

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When actresses sashay down the red carpet before the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, they are expected to be wearing gowns exuding glamour and sophistication, not flesh-exposing jaw-droppers.

Performers at this month's Grammys were issued a 'wardrobe advisory' ahead of the big music awards show, telling them to cover up and keep buttocks, nipples and genitals under wraps. The advisory appeared to work, as no one bared too much skin.

But fashion experts do not expect guests at the 85th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night to shock, instead forecasting original fashions inspired by last month's Paris haute couture week where made-to-order gowns worth tens of thousands of dollars are hand-crafted.

Top designers are keen to dress the hottest Hollywood stars, loaning them creations and jewelry for the awards ceremony that is watched by an estimated one billion people worldwide, with many as interested in the fashions as the films.

The importance of looking good on the film industry's biggest night is critical for up-and-coming actresses wanting to be noticed and for designers and cosmetic and jewelry companies seeking global recognition and the next big contract.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars, says on its award show tickets that attire for the event is 'formal.' An Academy spokeswoman declined to elaborate on whether more detailed advisories are given to nominees and presenters, saying only that 'the Oscars and the Governors Ball are black-tie events.'

With the red carpet televised live, there is no room for wardrobe malfunctions. And attendees know that the critics are ready to pounce on anyone whose frock does not live up to the event.

LEGBOMBING

Designer Marc Bouwer, who is dressing three Oscar attendees this year, called the Oscars red carpet 'the greatest, biggest runway show on earth,' pointing out that the right outfit can take someone's career 'from zero to a hundred.'

Bouwer would know. His creations are regularly featured on best-dressed lists, with the white satin gown worn by Angelina Jolie wowing the audience at the 2004 Oscars.

Jolie is a pro of the red carpet. She again stole the spotlight last year when she thrust her right leg out of her high-slit Versace dress, setting off a global copying craze and leading to the adoption of a new word, 'legbombing.' Her right leg even got its own Twitter account.

The value of red carpet exposure is hard to pinpoint, but a vintage Christian Dior dress worn by actress Natalie Portman at the 84th Academy Awards later sold for $50,000.

The photographs of the actress who takes home the Best Actress statuette becomes part of Oscar lore.

It's a night when images of beautiful women in spectacular gowns become Hollywood history, such as pictures of Grace Kelly in a blue satin gown by Edith Head in 1955, Julia Roberts in a black vintage Valentino in 2001, and Halle Berry in an Elie Saab gown with a sheer upper bodice and burgundy satin bottom in 2002.

One actress in the spotlight this year is 22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence, who is a favorite for the Best Actress award for her role in the quirky romance 'Silver Linings Playbook.'

Lawrence has built a relationship with Christian Dior's creative director, Belgian fashion designer Raf Simons, and wore Dior gowns to the recent Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTA awards in London.

It remains to be seen if she will don Dior for the Oscars, but style expert Sam Saboura, a fashion host on the cable channel TLC, said he expected the copious amounts of black and white used by Dior and Chanel in Paris last month to appear at the Oscars.

He said the full skirts used by Dior in Paris are also likely to influence gowns on Oscar night, while spring and fall colors like cobalt blue, poppy red and yellow, as seen at the Golden Globes, could emerge.

'The Oscars carpet is the grand dame of all red carpets,' Saboura told Reuters. 'It's a world stage and what's worn on that night will set the tone and trend of what everyone else will be wearing ... and other designers will follow suit.'

Bouwer expects prints to make a big return to the red carpet as designers use computer software like photoshopping and art applications to add prints easily.

'Prints have been on day dresses for years, but now it's moving into haute couture and ballgowns,' Bouwer told Reuters. 'It's something different. It's pushing the envelope and there's no reason it shouldn't be on an evening gown.'

No matter what color, pattern or designer is chosen for the Oscar red carpet, hair stylist Jose Eber said the underlying theme will be, as always, a celebration of the golden years of Hollywood and a bygone era of timeless elegance.

'Every nominee and presenter gets inspired by that era, and you will see them paying homage to stars like Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Audrey Hepburn and others,' Eber told Reuters. 'But they will all have their own new twist' on elegance.

(Editing by Belinda Goldsmith and Philip Barbara)

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Milan fashion week opens with hopes of economic comeback

MILAN (Reuters) - Designers kicked off Milan fashion week on Wednesday with bold collections to persuade Italian shoppers that the worst of the economic crisis is over and it is time to hit the stores again.

Fashion houses including PPR's Gucci, Giorgio Armani and Prada are among the top names showing their womenswear 2013-14 autumn-winter collections, taking up the baton from catwalk shows in London.

'I have great hopes for this country after the political and economic debacle of the last months,' cashmere goods maker Brunello Cucinelli told Reuters at his showroom.

The colorful crowd of fashion critics and bloggers descending on Milan will mix this year with Italian voters heading to the ballot box on February 24-25 to choose a new government and decide the country's future economic path.

Italy came close to a major debt crisis in November 2011 before Silvio Berlusconi stood down as prime minister and was replaced by technocrat Mario Monti.

'There is a need to clean up politics and give small businesses the incentives to hire people,' Maurizio Modica, co-designer at Italy's brand Frankie Morello, told Reuters.

Sales of Italian fashion goods are forecast to drop 3.5 percent to around 58 billion euros ($77 billion) this year, after falling 5.4 percent in 2012, according to preliminary data by textile and fashion body Sistema Moda Italia (SMI).

Gucci, the first big name brand to show, proposed a fetish aesthetic for its sensual collection, with sculpted dresses in materials such as python skin.

Creative head Frida Giannini, who is expecting her first baby in a couple of weeks, was inspired by the idea of a 'femme fatale' for her show, which also featured evening gowns with colorful feathers stitched on black lace.

For the morning, Giannini showed sporty jackets embroidered with three-dimensional leaves.

Fashion house Frankie Morello presented a 'dark lady' for its youthful collection, which featured black blouses covered with mirror shards and stiff fabrics in geometric patterns.

'I am confident that this edition of the Milan womenswear week will confirm the positive signs of recovery that we saw in January during the menswear shows,' Mario Boselli, chairman of Italy's fashion national chamber, said in a statement.

He said he expected orders for the autumn-winter collections would improve as the recession eases in 2013.

Foreign markets will make up the mainstay of the revenue, with exports expected to reach record levels in terms of value, surpassing the previous record in 2000. Non-EU countries such as China will outpace EU members for the first time, SMI said.

'These forecasts are based on a scenario that there will be no fiscal shocks in 2013 and the government to be named after the election will couple fiscal austerity with measures to boost spending in the second half of the year,' SMI said.

The fashion week, which ends on Tuesday, will also include shows from Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli.

($1 = 0.7487 euros)

(Editing by Alison Williams)

Timeless suits from London's Savile Row back in fashion

LONDON (Reuters) - With a blazing fire, leather sofa, and a half-empty bottle of single malt whisky by the door, London bespoke suit-maker Anderson & Sheppard feels more like a gentlemen's club frozen in time than a 21st century luxury retailer.

At the back of the shop a number of impeccably dressed tailors cut cloth on wooden work benches much like they have been doing for the last 100 years. One can almost imagine past customers like Charlie Chaplin, Pablo Picasso or some faded Victorian gentleman turning up at any moment.

This Savile Row tailor, where first names are banned and customers are always 'sir', may feel like a museum to Britain's faded imperial glory but the bespoke menswear business on 'the Row' is enjoying a remarkable resurgence.

Anderson & Sheppard is just one of the names on London's most renowned street for high-end tailors.

Alongside Gieves & Hawkes, Dege & Skinner, Henry Poole & Co and others, tailors on 'the Row' have been dressing royalty, aristocrats, statesmen, great warriors and the wealthy since British dandy Beau Brummel first introduced trousers to fashionable London society at the start of the 19th century.

Behind the fusty facade 'the Row' is attracting a new generation of less exclusive young clientele despite suit prices starting at 3,800 pounds ($5,900) with a combination of client discretion, a subtle online presence and absolute attention to detail and quality.

Anderson & Sheppard had a 2012 turnover of 4 million pounds and growth has been over 13 percent every year since 2009.

A number of other houses on Savile Row have also enjoyed over 10 percent growth in recent years with total revenue for the informal group of suitmakers now estimated to be 30-35 million pounds.

'We're doing very well actually. We've found that business has picked up in the last few years, and we couldn't be busier,' Anderson & Sheppard manager Colin Heywood said as he showed Reuters around the shop.

RENAISSANCE

The renaissance of classic British menswear is a dramatic turn-around for an industry that was left on the ropes by the rise of decent quality ready-to-wear suits and shirts in shops during the 1970s and 1980s.

Clothes that were then dismissed as old fashioned, over-priced and going the way of bowler hats, are now the subject of renewed interest reflected in sartorial blogs and forums from India to the United States.

'We've noticed that we get a lot more younger customers coming in. I think that's particularly the result of the internet. There's so much more written about bespoke tailoring now in books, magazines and online,' Heywood said.

The celebration of Savile Row's handcrafted suits in online forums, top men's magazines and promoted by its own association on the Savile Row Bespoke website (www.savilerowbespoke.com) has allowed tailors on the Row to make a centuries-old tradition irresistible to well-off modern men seeking top quality.

'People find it a lot more accessible and I think it takes away that fear element of people coming in for the first time,' Heywood said.

One customer, 38-year-old James Massey who runs a public relations firm, said a bespoke suit was impossible to match.

'I could probably go and spend the same amount of money in Selfridges on a Zegna suit that's made in a factory in Italy with a bit of handstitching, but this is actually made specifically for me,' he said.

Dylan Jones, editor at GQ UK, puts the renaissance of British tailoring down to the way men now shop for clothes.

'It's a generational shift. Men today consume far more like women. They're far more sophisticated consumers than they used to be and they expect very good produce at every entry level,' he said.

'Menswear is starting to approach 50 percent of a lot of people's business. It's a real growth industry.'

Savile Row is particularly popular in international circles where the classic British look is increasingly fashionable.

'One thing that plays fantastically well with foreign press and buyers is the heritage aspect of what we do and there is so much interest in Savile Row,' Jones said, referring to the events he runs as chair of the menswear committee for the British Fashion Council.

Within this overall growth market where men are spending more on clothes and demanding higher quality, Savile Row remains uniquely placed in a global industry which luxury consultants Bain & Company estimated was worth more than $34 billion in an October 2012 note.

'London is the home of menswear. We invented the suit and Savile Row is the most important men's shopping street in the world which offers a quality and aspect of heritage that you simply can't get anywhere else,' Jones said.

COTTAGE INDUSTRY

While big fashion brands such as Tom Ford, Dior, and Paul Smith, invest heavily in marketing, distribution and staff, Savile Row tailors remain a cottage industry employing only a few dozen people who produce suits on site.

With fewer overheads and an international reputation from generations of suit-making which does not cost a penny in advertising, Savile Row is a surprisingly competitive and durable business model.

'Any of these big fashion brands will have a much bigger mark-up than the Savile Row tailors. No one goes into bespoke tailoring to get rich,' said James Harvey-Kelly the menswear designer for French brand Vicomte A who also runs his own made-to-measure company.

'The quality is sensational and that's what Savile Row trades off. They use sensational cloths and its sewn together by absolute experts. They last for generations.'

On the other side of Piccadilly the manager of traditional shirtmaker Budd, Andrew Rowland, said his company was reaping rewards for sticking by its principles through the tough times.

'We've never done anything different, but the others have weakened,' he said in the cosy shop just off Jermyn Street above which bespoke shirts are still scissored by hand.

Jermyn Street used to be the home of London's bespoke shirt-making industry, but many of the old stores such as T.M. Lewin and Hawes & Curtis expanded into mass sales, pushing down the price by producing shirts in Vietnam and Turkey.

One long-term customer is British actor Edward Fox, who played the title role in 'Day of the Jackal'. Before sitting down to a cup of tea with Rowland, he explained why he has been coming back for 55 years.

'This is a Budd shirt. It must be at least 10 years old. Just as good today as it was 10 years ago. You don't actually have to spend that much on clothes, you have to look after clothes and you have to buy well originally'.

However, traditional tailoring is not always ideal for more design-conscious people, according to Harvey-Kelly.

'Everything for them (Savile Row) is about it falling perfectly with no creases. But in the modern day people sometimes want it to look a bit uncomfortable. They want it to be slim and curl on the sleeve and a lot of tailors refuse to do that'.

Heywood at Anderson & Sheppard when asked about modern fashion trends said he had noticed a 'slight lean towards narrower trousers'.

'We're not fashion-led. Fashions change very quickly and what we like to do is create a suit that's a timeless classic that you can wear in any decade'.

(Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

British supermodel Cara Delevingne rules on fashion catwalks

LONDON (Reuters) - As hundreds of models have strutted down catwalks in New York and London this month for the fall fashion shows, one face has emerged from the crowd -- British model Cara Delevingne.

At New York Fashion Week last week Delevingne, 20, walked in 13 shows, including Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta, and in London this week she sashayed in various shows, for Burberry, having previously modeled for Stella McCartney. Milan and Paris come next.

The catwalk success of the British model, whose strong eyebrows and snub nose are her defining features, has Britain's press stalking her every move and has drawn comparisons to the attention once garnered by fellow Briton Kate Moss.

Open a fashion magazine or the social pages of a newspaper and there is Delevingne, with the model gracing the March issue of British Vogue while also partying with the A-list crowd including singers Rihanna and Rita Ora.

She is plastered on billboards across London as the face of Inditex's high street chain Zara and has built a large social media following, by posting photos of her modeling, partying and napping, attracting 468,000 Twitter followers.

'She has this unique striking look, which is almost part Brigitte Bardot, but then mixed with an elfin quirkiness. There's a rarity about her look, which has put her on the map and into countless campaigns and runways,' said Carmen Borgonovo, fashion director at online boutique my-wardrobe.com.

Moss, 39, and Delevingne do have something in common - the same scout.

Sarah Doukas, who spotted 14-year-old Moss at a New York airport in 1988, was the first to see the potential of Delevingne at a fashion show at her daughter's private school, Bedales. She signed her up to Storm Model Management in 2009.

But unlike Moss, Delevingne comes from a privileged background - as her attendance at the 30,000 pounds ($46,000) a year school Bedales suggests.

She is the granddaughter of former English Heritage chairman Sir Jocelyn Stevens, founder of the 1960s pirate radio station Radio Caroline, and grew up in the wealthy London suburb of Belgravia with her father, a property developer, and her mother, a personal shopper. Her sister Poppy is also a model.

Delevingne first came to attention appearing in Burberry's 2011 campaign. She became the face of Burberry in 2012.

She was named Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards last November and has continued to climb the ranks, rising to number 17 on models.com's Top 50 Models list from 25 before the start of this month's fashion season.

'Cara is one of those girls who combine energy, wit, enthusiasm and the kind of edgy beauty that marks her out from the general pool of beautiful models,' says Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman in an introduction to the March magazine.

Fashion industry experts said with the fickleness of the fashion industry it remained to be seen whether Delevingne would challenge the success that Moss has enjoyed for over 20 years.

But they said part of the appeal of the model-of-the-moment is her personality on-and-off the catwalk, with Delevingne clearly having fun and trying to remain modest.

'I don't like Cara the model. I'm just Cara. And for some reason, these people keep hiring me,' she told reporters backstage at the London Fashion Show.

(Reporting By Dasha Afanasieva, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

Graduates from fashion's "cradle" of talent chase elusive dream

LONDON (Reuters) - As London Fashion Week closes, Britain's budding designers must tackle the challenge of finding employment in an economy where most recent university graduates are struggling for work and in an industry that is notoriously competitive.

London has a reputation as a cradle of new fashion talent, with the Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design boasting an illustrious list of alumni including Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane and John Galliano.

The London-based school showcases its graduate talent every year in a show for fashion week, luring headhunters looking for up-and-coming talent to offer their labels.

A lucky few will be tapped on the shoulder for positions at top brands. But most will have to settle for employment that doesn't advance their dreams beyond internships that pay little or nothing at all and jobs on the bottom of the career ladder.

More than one in three of all recent UK graduates were employed in lower skilled jobs in the final three months of 2011, according to the UK statistics office.

Veteran fashion journalist and trustee of graduate fashion week Hilary Alexander told Reuters the numbers of graduates also seems to be increasing each time she attends the show at Central Saint Martins.

'Every year there seem to be more...Obviously they all can't become fashion designers,' Alexander said.

Figures from the University of Kent show there are more than 4,000 textile and design graduates in the UK competing for around 500 jobs every year.

'We have the talent. That has unquestionably been our strength for decades,' Natalie Massenet, founder of online fashion retailer Net-a-Porter and Chairman of the British Fashion Council said at the start of London Fashion Week.

Central Saint Martins student Eilish Macintosh, who won the L'Oreal Bursary Award for her collection of black jersey dresses decorated with rope in hangman knots, said she would love to find a job but has no offers at the moment.

'To be honest I'm just going to see what opportunities come up,' Macintosh said.

Marie Rydland moved from Norway to London to take advantage of the city's fashion scene.

Rydland, who presented a menswear collection of floor length ivory kaftans with a patchwork of silver and blue embroidery said job hunting would have to wait until after her exams.

'Everybody makes their portfolio and then it's about going out there and getting contacts,' she said.

WISH LIST

Designers at London Fashion Week said that a great attitude, creative vision and work experience were key traits for any new hires entering the country's 21 billion pound ($32.6 billion) fashion industry.

'Be prepared to do lots of work experience and work hard at it,' designer Alice Temperley advised applicants, describing the job market for new graduates as 'terrible'.

While Temperley pays all her interns, the pressure to curb unpaid internships has made it harder to get work experience.

Journalist Alexander said the emphasis should be on new innovative skills when training fashion students.

'We need to channel the talents into the whole digital arena...(Mary) Katrantzou, Holly Fulton, Peter Pilotto are using digital printing,' she said.

Others have expressed concern that fashion schools are not preparing their students well enough for the world of work.

'Many fashion schools do not provide enough training in pattern cutting, which is a fundamental skill for any young designer,' Imran Amed, a fashion business advisor, adding that those who do have these specialist skills are sought after.

British designer Paul Smith echoed this after his show at Tate Britain.

'They really need to know how to put a garment together,' Smith said. 'A lot of people think fashion is just about networking, getting out there - but now it's reality time.'

(Reporting by Dasha Afanasieva, Additional reporting by Li-mei Hoang)

Tom Ford unveils clothing line in London catwalk debut

LONDON (Reuters) - American designer Tom Ford unveiled his womenswear line to the world on Monday in a lavish London Fashion Week debut that will help seal the city's credentials as a major international fashion hub.

Industry bloggers and buyers have flocked to London this season drawn by the big names on show, including Burberry, Erdem, Vivienne Westwood and Ford, who blended Inuit patterns, fur and pop-art designs in his cross-culture collection.

Once displayed behind closed doors for private clients and the editors of glossy fashion magazines, the collection's public showcasing coincides with the expansion of Ford's legion of stores in Europe and beyond, which will total 100 by the end of next year.

'We're in pretty much most major markets,' Ford told Reuters after the show in the majestic rooms of historic Lancaster House, a short distance away from Buckingham Palace.

'We open our London store this fall ... and it's really the last of the major global capitals where we do not have a freestanding store,' he said.

Even though it has produced some of fashion's biggest names, such as Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, London in the past has struggled to maintain its international profile on par with Paris, Milan and New York.

But with stars like singer Rihanna and fashion darling Ford heading this year's catwalk line-up along with well-established names like Westwood, London is rising to the challenge.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel sat on the front row to watch a procession of sequined bomber jackets, cowhide skirts and sheer evening dresses with fur trims parade along the L-shaped runway, illuminated by roving spotlights.

'England does produce some of the most creative fashion designers in the world and often they do leave because they go to France or they go to Italy to work,' Ford said, adding he would love to entice some big British names back to the British capital, where he lives and works.

'I would love to lure back my friend Stella McCartney, I would love to lure back other people, it would be great if McQueen showed here ... you know a lot of people who don't show here but live here and work here,' he said.

The direct value of the British fashion industry to the UK's $2.5 trillion economy is 21 billion pounds ($32.6 billion), according to estimates from the British Fashion Council (BFC).

With buyers from 39 different countries attending, the BFC estimates orders of more than 100 million pounds are placed each season at London Fashion Week.

WHIMSICAL

Burberry sent a whimsical collection of its trademark trench coats down the runway embellished with heart motifs, animal prints and metallic detailing for Autumn/Winter 2013.

'The collection was really about the iconic Burberry colors, so black, white, camel and red, mixed with a little bit of gold,' Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey told Reuters after the show.

Held in London's Hyde Park, models sported fitted dresses, chic pencil skirts, knitted jumpers and shiny golden belts.

'(Burberry) is smart, it's casual, it's cool, it's young. It's classic. It just caters for such a broad market,' said British model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. 'This is my favorite show to come and watch and I think Burberry always impresses everyone.'

Opulent tones of burgundy, midnight blue and scarlet red featured across Christopher Kane's collection, along with revealing velvet dresses and feathered flower shapes sewn onto sheer tops and skirts.

The Scottish designer infused colorful camouflage prints into his collection, as well as floral appliques, feathers and fur.

Models donned boxy jackets with contrasting buckles, loosely cut trousers that hung off the hips and heavily embellished sheer silk dresses.

(Additional reporting by Dasha Afanasieva, Editing by Paul Casciato and Eric Beech)

Monday, February 18, 2013

Tom Ford to unveil womenswear line in London catwalk debut

LONDON (Reuters) - American designer Tom Ford will unveil his womenswear line to the world on Monday in a London debut that will help seal the city's credentials as a major international fashion hub.

Industry bloggers and buyers have flocked to London this season drawn by the big names on show, including Burberry, Erdem, Vivienne Westwood and Ford.

The direct value of the British fashion industry to the UK's $2.5 trillion economy is 21 billion pounds ($32.6 billion), according to estimates from the British Fashion Council (BFC).

Even though it has produced some of fashion's biggest names, such as Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, London in the past has struggled to maintain its international profile on a par with Paris, Milan and New York.

But with stars like singer Rihanna and fashion darling Ford heading this year's catwalk line-up along with well established names like Westwood, London is rising to the challenge.

'Never before has the international consumer been more educated and had more desire to own the collections that come from our London runways,' said Natalie Massenet, Chairman of the BFC and founder of online luxury clothing retailer Net-a-Porter at the start of London Fashion Week.

With buyers from 39 different countries attending, the BFC estimates orders of more than 100 million pounds are placed each season at London Fashion Week.

Canadian-born designer Erdem Moralioglu, whose highly sought-after designs please celebrities on both sides of the Atlantic, presented his signature florals on Monday in moody black and blue grey tones with bursts of yellow and lilac.

Lace adorned a dramatic black evening gown, while layers of organza added dimensions to evening pieces presented at the modern White Cube Gallery in London's Bermondsey district and attended by American Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Dutch designer Michael van der Ham, one of the winners of the prestigious Fashion Forward Award from the BFC, echoed the mood with a collection of dark embroidered silks with subtle cutout details that revealed intricate prints.

(Additional reporting by Dasha Afanasieva and Li-mei Hoang, editing by Paul Casciato)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Ralph Lauren's new collection evokes 19th century Russia, France

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wool coats and jackets befitting 19th-century Paris and elegant, hourglass-figured silk gowns suiting imperial Russia filled the fall and winter 2013 Ralph Lauren collection unveiled on Thursday at New York Fashion Week.

Evoking 'Les Misérables' and 'Anna Karenina,' the American designer showed white high-collar ruffled blouses with bows at the neck and double-faced wool crepe stovepipe pants.

Coming on the final day of New York Fashion Week, Lauren's collection is one of the most highly anticipated among the hundreds put on display during the semi-annual event.

New York Fashion Week is followed by similar events in London, Paris and Milan.

Lauren's handsome coats, mostly in black, were double-breasted, high-collared and wide-lapelled, with generously loose shoulders and sleeves.

With models sporting raffish berets and peaked caps, some looks had a pronounced military influence. A black wool crepe jacket featured military-style gold stripes at the cuff.

A simple strapless gown in black textured wool, while hardly suitable for combat, was wittily marked with an air-force style insignia over the decolletage.

Rich velvet dresses in Prussian blue and purple swished and flowed with Bohemian looseness, matched with long chains of multicolored jewel-like beads and carpet bags that would have pleased Mary Poppins.

In a more contemporary reference, a purple velvet pantsuit and white blouse with a flouncy ruffled purple bow evoked Prince in his 1980s' 'Purple Rain' era.

The evening-wear veered between gypsy-inspired looseness and more buttoned-up elegance but felt Russian either way, telegraphed not the least by large furry hats.

Silk taffeta evening dresses in midnight blue and forest green featured extravagantly layered skirts.

Calvin Klein propelled the line in an assertive, highly engineered direction with minimalism and bold geometrics in a collection also shown on Thursday.

Clean, straight and simple silhouettes and blocks of color were marked by textural details, including small geometric holes notched into skirts and dresses in a grid-like fashion that became a motif of the collection.

The shoulders on many Calvin Klein jackets and dresses were power-suit strong and broad.

The collection, by womens' wear creative director Francisco Costa, made hefty use of vinyl, especially in spaceship-appropriate dresses, all smooth and shiny. Even the woolen dresses included dark broad vinyl bands at the waist or across the skirt.

Only one dress came anywhere near a dainty, softer form of femininity - a black wool mesh dress with bands of delicate chain embroidery that shimmered and glittered.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Andrew Hay)

For the new pope, it's all sewn up - small, medium or large

ROME (Reuters) - At Gammarelli, a discreet oak-panelled tailor's shop in central Rome, they are expected to be already creating sumptuous vestments for the new pope - in small, medium and large sizes so whoever is chosen will get the right fit.

Few of the tourists strolling past on their way to the Pantheon, one of Rome's grandest ancient temples, give the shop at 34 Via Santa Chiara a second glance. Locals who know it is the pope's tailor are a bit more curious.

'Looks like they have it ready,' says one, peering at a golden cassock in the window of the 200-year-old ecclesiastical outfitters, speculating that it might be the costume the future pope will wear on day 1.

Tradition dictates that three versions of the same vestments will be made in advance for the new pope, whatever his size, be it, for example, Timothy Dolan, the portly Archbishop of New York, or the diminutive Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines.

Once the white smoke has appeared from the Sistine Chapel, signifying that a pope has been chosen, nuns at the Vatican make last-minute alterations to the robes that are the closest fit before the new pontiff walks out onto his balcony to face the world.

Inside the shop, with the framed portraits of former popes - former customers - looking down, staff have been instructed not to talk to reporters as the world's media descends on Rome.

The reticence may have something to do with the attention - not all of it welcome - that Benedict's wardrobe has received in his almost eight years as pope.

His fondness for reviving costumes unseen for generations and a range of flamboyant hats prompted the Wall Street Journal to ask 'Does the Pope Wear Prada?' Esquire magazine named him 'Accessorizer of the Year', praising his red leather loafers.

The coverage eventually earned a rebuke from the Vatican newspaper which called such reports 'frivolous'.

'The pope, in summary, does not wear Prada, but Christ,' wrote l'Osservatore Romano.

NOT PRADA

Benedict's red loafers were not Prada. At least one pair was handmade by Antonio Arellano in a tiny cobbler's shop in a narrow back street off St. Peter's Square where a steady flow of customers come to get their shoes re-soled.

Far from the designer stores on the other side of the Tiber, Arellano's shop, with its smell of glue and racks of shoe polish, is unremarkable, except for the fact that, due to its location, he counts Benedict as a loyal customer.

'When he was cardinal, he came in like any normal person to have his shoes mended,' said Arellano, a Peruvian immigrant who has had the shop in Borgo Pio - the Rome quarter that neighbours the Vatican City - since 1998.

Satisfied with his work, the then Cardinal Ratzinger ordered hand-made shoes from Arellano.

With the pope's measurements already on file - Benedict is a size 42 - Arellano, a skilled shoemaker, was able to make the distinctive red loafers that he wore when he put former Pope John Paul II on the road to sainthood at a grand beatification ceremony in 2011.

'When I saw the beatification - when you see your work - you feel great,' Arellano said, standing under a photograph of himself presenting Benedict with his shoes.

Even better, the cobbler - whose hand-made shoes, bearing his name stamped on the insole, line one side of his shop - gets return business.

'He wears out the toe when he prays, so I repair them,' he said. 'I feel happy when I see my name that I have put there - wow, he really walks a lot - that's my satisfaction.'

With Benedict set to retire to an apartment inside the Vatican City, Arellano hopes he will remain his customer, even if the pope no longer visits in person.

'In the future, the new pope, let's hope he will be my customer, if he is, hallelujah, another one .. Working for him would be fantastic.'

(Editing by Giles Elgood)

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

At N.Y. fashion shows, black jacket becomes 'it' piece for fall

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The myriad designs parading on the runways of New York Fashion Week converged on one standout style-savvy look for fall and winter 2013: the black jacket.

Ubiquitous in the latest collections, the jacket appeared with a boxy silhouette, swingy lines or oversized shoulders, but the black was non-negotiable. It was by far the dominant color among the hundreds of fall and winter women's collections unveiled by designers at the semi-annual extravaganza.

New York Fashion Week, which is followed by similar events in London, Paris and Milan, concludes on Thursday with shows by Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

In shows this week, the black jacket appeared tuxedo-style with contrasting satin lapels, as a bolero, in edgy motorcycle cuts, playfully cropped at the waist, as a tailored blazer, as a blouson and with ruffles at the waist. Among designers highlighting the piece were Nicole Miller, Yigal Azrouel and Kenneth Cole.

The black jacket was paired with skirts, most of them pleated or pencil, and trousers that veered between slim and slouchy.

Fur was omnipresent - in narrow neck pieces, stoles, snoods and wraps and adorning everything from anoraks to evening gowns.

Michael Kors, who showed his collection on Wednesday, slashed and belted a black mink stole, and his models donned over-sized fur hats with ear flaps.

Designer Carolina Herrera dyed fur wraps and collars in eye-catching reds and greens. Douglas Hannant, who also showed on Wednesday, trimmed a women's tuxedo with a mink collar.

'Furs are so prevalent, it's unbelievable,' said David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group fashion consultants.

'It's luxury and drama and glamour, and it's escapism because we're still not out of the economic woods,' he said. 'This is kind of kidding yourself that everything is the way it was in the '80s when times were good.'

The fall and winter collections were unexpectedly lush, said luxury consultant Robert Burke.

'It's not exactly a boom time period, but designers are designing like it is,' he said.

Evening wear featured rich textiles and heavy ornamentation, especially in collections by Tadashi Shoji and Pamella Roland who took inspiration from old St. Petersburg in Russia and Naeem Khan who looked to 1920s Art Deco.

'If I'm a designer and I'm in a higher-end market, how do I differentiate myself from fast fashion? It's the ornamentation,' said retail consultant Tom Julian.

Leather made a strong showing - cut into lacy evening dresses, folded into pleated trousers, trimmed into skinny leggings and even feathered into hemline flounces. Shearling was popular too.

Layering played a big role. Designers put short jackets over long shirts, letting the tails hang out the back, and brought out plenty of vests, from biker to brocade, as well as hoods.

'I was intrigued by the hoodie that gets layered with the cardigan that gets layered with the tunic that gets layered with the slicker,' said Julian.

Necklines were high. Turtlenecks were popular, as were stand-up collars and bows tied at the front of the neck.

Accompanying all that black was gray, in versions dubbed fog, smoke, slate, pewter, gun metal, charcoal, lead and mercury.

For those craving a bit of color, a dark red described variously as oxblood, Bordeaux, Windsor wine, Merlot and wineberry made a subtle appearance, as did deep greens described as moss, malachite and viridian and purples named aubergine, amethyst, amaranth and black plum.

'Women who pass on the bright color are going to bite on these more sophisticated, darker, muted colors,' said Wolfe.

(Additional reporting by Marguerita Choy, Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Andrew Hay)

At N.Y. fashion shows, black jacket becomes "it" piece for fall

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The myriad designs parading on the runways of New York Fashion Week converged on one standout style-savvy look for fall and winter 2013: the black jacket.

Ubiquitous in the latest collections, the jacket appeared with a boxy silhouette, swingy lines or oversized shoulders, but the black was non-negotiable. It was by far the dominant color among the hundreds of fall and winter women's collections unveiled by designers at the semi-annual extravaganza.

New York Fashion Week, which is followed by similar events in London, Paris and Milan, concludes on Thursday with shows by Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

In shows this week, the black jacket appeared tuxedo-style with contrasting satin lapels, as a bolero, in edgy motorcycle cuts, playfully cropped at the waist, as a tailored blazer, as a blouson and with ruffles at the waist. Among designers highlighting the piece were Nicole Miller, Yigal Azrouel and Kenneth Cole.

The black jacket was paired with skirts, most of them pleated or pencil, and trousers that veered between slim and slouchy.

Fur was omnipresent - in narrow neck pieces, stoles, snoods and wraps and adorning everything from anoraks to evening gowns.

Michael Kors, who showed his collection on Wednesday, slashed and belted a black mink stole, and his models donned over-sized fur hats with ear flaps. Designer Carolina Herrera dyed fur wraps and collars in eye-catching reds and greens.

'Furs are so prevalent, it's unbelievable,' said David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group fashion consultants.

'It's luxury and drama and glamour, and it's escapism because we're still not out of the economic woods,' he said. 'This is kind of kidding yourself that everything is the way it was in the '80s when times were good.'

The fall and winter collections were unexpectedly lush, said luxury consultant Robert Burke.

'It's not exactly a boom time period, but designers are designing like it is,' he said.

Evening wear featured rich textiles and heavy ornamentation, especially in collections by Tadashi Shoji and Pamella Roland who took inspiration from old St. Petersburg in Russia and Naeem Khan who looked to 1920s Art Deco.

'If I'm a designer and I'm in a higher-end market, how do I differentiate myself from fast fashion? It's the ornamentation,' said retail consultant Tom Julian.

Leather made a strong showing - cut into lacy evening dresses, folded into pleated trousers, trimmed into skinny leggings and even feathered into hemline flounces. Shearling was popular too.

Layering played a big role. Designers put short jackets over long shirts, letting the tails hang out the back, and brought out plenty of vests, from biker to brocade, as well as hoods.

'I was intrigued by the hoodie that gets layered with the cardigan that gets layered with the tunic that gets layered with the slicker,' said Julian.

Necklines were high. Turtlenecks were popular, as were stand-up collars and bows tied at the front of the neck.

Accompanying all that black was gray, in versions dubbed fog, smoke, slate, pewter, gun metal, charcoal, lead and mercury.

For those craving a bit of color, a dark red described variously as oxblood, Bordeaux, Windsor wine, Merlot and wineberry made a subtle appearance, as did deep greens described as moss, malachite and viridian and purples named aubergine, amethyst, amaranth and black plum.

'Women who pass on the bright color are going to bite on these more sophisticated, darker, muted colors,' said Wolfe.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Andrew Hay)



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At New York fashion shows, black jacket becomes "it" piece for fall

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The myriad designs parading on the runways of New York Fashion Week converged on one standout style-savvy look for fall and winter 2013: the black jacket.

Ubiquitous in the latest collections, the jacket appeared sporting a boxy silhouette, swinging lines or oversized shoulders, but the black was non-negotiable. It was by far the dominant color among the hundreds of the fall and winter women's collections unveiled by designers at the semi-annual extravaganza.

New York Fashion Week, which is followed by similar events in London, Paris and Milan, concludes on Thursday with shows by Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Michael Kors will be among those showing his designs on Wednesday.

In shows this week, the black jacket appeared tuxedo-style with contrasting satin lapels, as a bolero, in edgy motorcycle cuts, playfully cropped at the waist, as a tailored blazer, as a blouson and with ruffles at the waist. Among designers highlighting the piece were Nicole Miler, Yigal Azrouel and Kenneth Cole

The black jacket was paired with skirts, most of them pleated or pencil, and trousers that veered between slim and slouchy.

Fur was also omnipresent - in narrow neck pieces, stoles, snoods and wraps and adorning everything from anoraks to evening gowns. Designers dyed it eye-catching reds and greens.

'Furs are so prevalent, it's unbelievable,' said David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group fashion consultants.

'It's luxury and drama and glamour, and it's escapism because we're still not out of the economic woods,' he said. 'This is kind of kidding yourself that everything is the way it was in the '80s when times were good.'

The fall and winter collections were unexpectedly lush, said luxury consultant Robert Burke.

'It's not exactly a boom time period, but designers are designing like it is,' he said.

Evening wear featured rich textiles and heavy ornamentation, especially in collections by Tadashi Shoji and Pamella Roland who took inspiration from old St. Petersburg in Russia and Naeem Khan who looked to 1920s Art Deco.

'If I'm a designer and I'm in a higher-end market, how do I differentiate myself from fast fashion? It's the ornamentation,' said retail consultant Tom Julian.

Leather made a strong showing - cut into lacy evening dresses, folded into pleated trousers, trimmed into skinny leggings and even feathered into hemline flounces. Shearling was popular too.

Layering played a big role. Designers put short jackets over long shirts, letting the tails hang out the back, and brought out plenty of vests, from biker to brocade, as well as hoods.

'I was intrigued by the hoodie that gets layered with the cardigan that gets layered with the tunic that gets layered with the slicker,' said Julian.

Necklines were high. Turtlenecks were popular, as were stand-up collars and bows tied at the front of the neck.

Accompanying all that black was gray, in versions dubbed fog, smoke, slate, pewter, gun metal, charcoal, lead and mercury.

For those craving a bit of color, a dark red described variously as oxblood, Bordeaux, Windsor wine, Merlot and wineberry made a subtle appearance, as did deep greens described as moss, malachite and viridian and purples named aubergine, amethyst, amaranth and black plum.

'Women who pass on the bright color are going to bite on these more sophisticated, darker, muted colors,' said Wolfe.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)



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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Furs, beading, tuxedo jackets feature big in NY fashion shows

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Furs, richly beaded gowns and tuxedo jackets were all over the runways on Tuesday at New York Fashion Week as designers opted for feminine elegance in their fall and winter 2013 collections.

Deep V-necks, draping and long-sleeve gloves were in abundance, along with brocades in muted as well as rich colors and plenty of black.

Badgley Mischka featured gold-beaded jackets and black pencil skirts, sleek tuxedo suits and jackets over gold metallic jersey, and tulle and crepe gowns.

The design duo created a sexy and sophisticated femme fatale look with fox fur vests, collars and wraps and flowing gowns with beaded shoulders and waists.

'I thought it was magnificent -- the romanticism, the fluidity and the craftsmanship,' said Gwen Mader, a New York fashion editor. 'It was one of the most beautiful collections I've seen this season.'

Mark Badgley and James Mischka, who met while studying at Parson School of Design in New York and have worked together since 1988, are a favorite among Hollywood's elite with their glamorous style harking back to an earlier era.

Halle Berry, Helen Mirren and Katie Perry are among the A-listers who have walked the red carpet in their creations.

London-based designer Jenny Packham, who counts the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton among her clients, looked back to the intellectual salons of 17th century Paris, where women discussed the arts and literature, for her designs.

'This collection is inspired by the rich tones and hues of these salons, the shades of midnight blue, scarlet reds, cinnamon and lustrous opals and by the spirit of freedom that imbued them,' she said in a statement ahead of the show.

Packham, who has been showing her collections in New York for the past few years, paired an ivory gown with a beaded coat, a sparkling, jeweled sweater with a flowing, full skirt and a red gown with cap sleeves and a sheer overlay.

A teal V-neck gown with a sheer beaded top across the shoulder and bodice was among the highlights of the show that attracted actresses Katherine Heigl and Vanessa Hudgens to the front row.

Like Middleton, who turned heads in a Packham emerald-green pleated gown she wore to a concert in London last summer and wowed onlookers in a shimmering, slinky silver full-length creation during a night out with Prince William, Angelina Jolie, Kate Hudson and Kate Winslet are also fans of the label.

Designer Vera Wang chose a more modern look for her collection, with black and beige geometric-cut jackets and coats, pencil skirts, cocktail dresses and gowns with draping at the waist and bold brocades.

Long gloves reaching nearly to the shoulder, furs, angle-cut skirts and wide-cut vests and jackets were also part of the collection that was viewed from the front row by American Vogue Editor Anna Wintour and the magazine Creative Director Grace Coddington.

The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, a precursor to shows in Paris, London and Milan, attracts some 232,000 people to the hundreds of shows at Lincoln Center and throughout the city. The designers, buyers, stylists and press who attend the 500 or so shows spend about $15 million on hotels and restaurants, according to city estimates.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Marguerita Choy)



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Monday, February 11, 2013

Carolina Herrera plays with fur at New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fur stole the show at Carolina Herrera's fashion show on Monday - fur in eye-catching hues and unusual places.

Herrera dyed fur a rich green and deep violet in her fall and winter 2013 collection, one of hundreds on display at New York Fashion Week, which runs through Thursday.

Furthering the unexpected, the New York-based fashion pacesetter put fur as a bib at the front of a black turtleneck, at the cinched waist of a satin jacket and along the neckline of a strapless cocktail dress.

Not to fear, the chic Venezuelan-born designer used fur in traditional colors and places as well, in coat collars and stoles. The deep mint green and purple dyed fur appeared in stoles and neckpieces atop sleek dresses and gowns.

Her dresses featured high necks and cinched waists, with attention drawn to shoulders capped in black velvet or encrusted with jewels.

Designer Tracy Reese made the catwalk a real cat walk, sending out a model carrying a live cat, a first for New York Fashion Week.

Reese, a designer popular with first lady Michelle Obama, opened her show with a cheetah print jacket of black and gray, dotted with jewel-like colors.

She followed up with mix-and-match animal prints in an array of pieces - a cardigan, pullover sweater, tube skirt, tunic, skinny pants, shawl jacket and trench coat.

From fashion stalwart Diane von Furstenberg came jumpsuits in burnt orange suede and red felt, and boxy, cropped jackets in her vibrant collection of hot pinks, purples and graphic prints.

At the Tommy Hilfiger show, the designer drew inspiration from 1960s icons - giving a nod to designer Mary Quant and model Twiggy in his trademark preppy pieces.

Hilfiger used a Prince of Wales check pattern in white, ivory and burgundy and magnified pinstripes and argyles in women's suits and outerwear.

Rebecca Taylor's fall and winter line went with slick biker chic silhouettes - a motorcycle jacket paired with a chiffon-pleated skirt and blazers topping skinny trousers.

The New Zealand-born Taylor, who is based in New York, showed a wealth of leather - t-shirts, biker vests and a leather pleated skirt with lace trim.

Taking a page from architecture, Taylor embellished looks with chain mail and lace mesh and used color blocking that evoked stained glass windows - deep blue, oxblood, plum and violet.

Fashion Week wraps up on Thursday with shows by big names Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

(Additional reporting by Marguerita Choy, Erin Geiger Smith and Eric Platt; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Fashion designers go digital to reach broadest audience

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hundreds of fashion designers are showing their fall and winter 2013 collections at New York Fashion Week, but not all of them are on the runway.

The semi-annual event, which is followed by fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan, includes up to 500 fashion shows around New York and attracts about 232,000 people, from buyers to foreign press and wealthy customers.

Top name designers at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, which runs at Manhattan's Lincoln Center through February 14, have been streaming their runway shows online for the past three or four years.

Now, many lesser-known names, up-and coming-fashion stars and established designers who want to reach a wider, younger audience are going digital.

'This season it is really prevalent,' said Stacy Roman of the New York fashion and publicity firm Factory PR. 'There has definitely been an increase in this type of platform.'

In addition to reaching a wider audience, going digital lets designers give fashionistas a behind-the-scenes look at the show and presentations, taking them backstage and through make-up and even fittings.

It is also far less expensive than staging a runway show, which can run upwards of $100,000 depending on the venue, models, makeup artists, stylists and disc jockeys for the show.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

Rachel Roy, who launched her first collection in 2005 and has done presentations at Fashion Week, will feature her designs in a digital runway show to stream live at www.facebook.com/RachelRoy on February 14.

'It just really seemed like the right thing to do,' said Roy, whose collection juxtaposes modern and antique looks with deep jewel tones and bright metallics, textured and smooth fabrics and light with dark colors.

'I always want to think outside the box, to do something that is new and fresh, and I think part of my job is to bring newness to fashion,' she said. 'Part of doing that is showing to as many people that love fashion, that want it, making it accessible to them.'

Roy is building a full set for her digital show and will include backstage shots to let viewers experience all elements of the production.

Los Angeles-based Kelly Wearstler is also taking the digital route and will feature plenty of denim in a collection that will be displayed in her New York showroom and in a digital show with behind-the-scenes videos shot in her California studio.

'I am in the infancy stage of my fashion world, and I have a ton to learn, so I am baby-stepping it,' said Wearstler, who launched her fashion line 18 months ago but has been in interior design for more than 17 years and has a flagship store in Los Angeles.

The content will go out on several digital platforms including her blog at www.kellywearstler.com, Twitter, the content sharing service Pinterest, the photo sharing and social networking services Instagram and Facebook, as well as fashion-focused websites such as Refinery29.com, racked.com, Style.com and Vine, Twitter's new video sharing app for recording and sharing six-second clips.

'Right now I am happy where I am, learning and growing,' she added.

For 32-year-old Radhika Perera-Hernandez, who designs for her New York based-Lois London (www.lois-london.com) label, there was no question that online is the place to be.

'It is the smartest way for a start-up line to get their name out there. A lot of designers that are at the same level as myself are doing the same kind of thing,' she said.

Perera-Hernandez, who was born and raised in London, features kaftans, jumpsuits and swimwear in her collection.

'Anything that I am doing for the brand I will be pushing through my website and (the microblogging website) Tumblr and any of the other viral things that I have going on.'

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Nick Zieminski)

Saturday, February 9, 2013

New York fashion shows carry on, unruffled by deep snow

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Designers took fashion traveling through time in New York on Saturday, displaying looks showcasing the past and future to crowds undeterred by deep snow that covered the city.

Ruffian, Lacoste and Porsche Design were three of the lines showing their fall and winter 2013 collections at New York Fashion Week, which brings more than 200,000 models, design experts and journalists to the city for the semi-annual extravaganza.

Attendance at Fashion Week, where many in the audience don stylish and often outlandish looks for the occasion, appeared little touched by the storm, which left a foot of snow overnight.

'I don't see it affecting it, except the outfits have gotten more interesting,' said Adam Paige, a spokesman for Mercedes-Benz, which sponsors Fashion Week shows staged at New York's Lincoln Center.

'People have had to stretch their creativity,' Paige said.

Ruffian kicked off with clothes that the designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais said were inspired by images of Sherlock Holmes, saloons, opium dens and the debauchery of New York's Bowery, brought to life with rich silks, velvets and embroidery.

Ruffian showed chalk-striped blazers, tweed jackets and high-necked blouses, perked up with corsets and floral flounces. Eye-catching pieces were made of shimmering metallic boucle.

In keeping with the theme, many models wore deerstalker hats made familiar by Holmes, the fictional 19th century London detective

Looking into an age of futuristic exploration, Lacoste showed sweaters, ponchos, blouses and dresses in ethereal shades of gray, some with abstract prints of topographical maps.

Silhouettes featured exaggeratedly rounded, dropped shoulders.

Color appeared at Lacoste in geometric blocked dresses of black, white, green and blue. Bits of orange peeked out in turtle necks and shirt collars in a collection that otherwise stayed close to gray, white, green and black.

Jet black ruled at the Porsche Design show, which offered sporty jackets, trousers and skirts of leather. A slight hint of color was a rich oxblood that Porsche dubbed Windsor wine.

Fashion Week continues through Thursday with shows by Michael Kors, Tracy Reese, Ralph Lauren and others.

(Additional reporting by Marguerita Choy; Editing by Peter Cooney)