The pursuit of luxury Hong Kong defies western gloom

  HONG KONG, China (AFP) - A gold, diamond-studded iPhone lights in a shopping mall in Hong Kong window, the $ 25,000 price tag a symbol of excessive luxury of the city, powered by cash rich Chinese tourists and wealthy residents.

The customized device has a rose gold frame with a combined 7.28 carats of diamonds also banded the number "5" on the back, loudly proclaimed that there is an iPhone 5 Apple - but with a difference.

Despite the gloom of the West and an expansion slowdown of the Chinese economy, the Chinese consumer, who spends lavishly proved rich people want exclusive Hong Kong to try a boon for retailers to overthrow global problems.

Gadgets decorated with custom shoes for men and ladies leather handbags or Rolls Royce monogrammed seats, Hong Kong continues from the influx of wealthy Chinese mainland in search of authentic goods and benefit cut VAT.

"They do not care about the price," said store manager Cytheia him surrounded by gadgets from shiny gold plated iPad covers for laptops and colored helmets.

"For it is the attitude that if you have an iPhone and I also use an iPhone, why should we be the same?"

Said a customer from the People's Republic of China has placed an order HK $ 800,000 ($ 103,000) for 70 custom iPhone, he planned to give as gifts.

The global luxury brands are pinning their hopes on the growing middle class in China and Europe slogs its debt crisis, the U.S. economy remains weak and failed to win the Japanese economy ground.

Despite the lower demand than in China last year expect luxury goods, its new leadership has promised to take action against corruption and excess official, it is expected that China is the largest market for luxury goods world be in 2020.

Taxes and lower sales prices genuine products attract buyers luxury shopping centers in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong brands such as Italian label Salvatore Ferragamo offer customers a selection of handbags with up to 40 colors of lizard, python or ostrich skin at full price made personalized. The Swiss watchmaker Rolex dials offer tailor.

Although conspicuous consumption and leisure travel, big spender of companies are welcome the influx of visitors from the mainland, not all has been welcomed in Hong Kong, where people complain of extra pressure on utilities from the crowded city.

Upscale boutiques and shops have been seen to drive the exorbitant rents have forced decades old shops and restaurants out of business, prompting warnings that the city sold their identity.

However, the thirst for luxury remains unfulfilled.

UK luxury craftsman Stuart Hughes, who recently developed, "the world's most expensive iPhone" on no less than 15 million U.S. dollars, said that more than two-thirds of its customers are from mainland China and Hong Kong.

The work was commissioned by a businessman from Hong Kong who asked Hughes, integrating a 26 carat black diamond in the phone.

"The Chinese have a lot of buying power to purchase for yourself or buy a gift for the people.
"You want a fairly different phone numbers. Additional changes you want to make it a unique look," the 42-year-old designer said.

Reel to real: designers and consumers of film and television for me fashion inspiration

  Moviegoers have the upcoming release of "The Great Gatsby" by Baz Luhrmann crawling all fashionistas, the dazzling costumes new, the color of the film are flocked.

Long before the original release of the film last Christmas, tracks, and ways of channeling shelves were plagued inspiration from the Roaring 20s. To see designers like Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren were embracing aesthetics and items such as cloche hats, skirts and dresses graduated drop-size again.

"Gatsby" costume designer Catherine Martin has worked with Brooks Brothers, who worked made more than 500 sets for the film, extracting the archive of the clothing brand for men designs, created many articles of 1920 film. Tuxedo, jackets, suits are linen, straw hats and wingtip oxfords under tightened by Jay Gatsby and Co. in the movie designs.

Creative collaboration has inspired a collection of opulent history, the latest in a long line of elegant historical dramas and frothy guilty pleasures modes have been performed inspired by the traditional consumer and designer desires.

"The idea behind this capsule collection is inspired by the time and make it very modern for today," said Deepak Chopra Brooks Brothers Limited line "Gatsby" brand.

Buttons indicating handwriting then as sharp setbacks crewneck shirts, blazers racing and Art Deco-inspired motifs are present. But Chopra says there are changes in accordance with a contemporary take on the 20s, including the lightest sheets in costumes and ivory striped colors, size, mid-height pants and a silhouette modernized used costumes.

And costume designer in Toronto Sarah Armstrong is not surprised to see patterns emerge on celluloid consumption in closets, citing the 20s, in particular, as a rich era of stylistic detail.

"He gave fashion designer really a great opportunity to create a different shape for women and men," she said.

"I also think, with fabrics and embellishments that time - which beads you have a lot of embroidery. - And you have a lot of really nice close up sensitive to the clothing fashion designers There are a large type of excitement that far from being able to do something a little different that., in recent years "

Before the middle of the film and television was even put in its infancy, the spectators were attracted origin of stars on the screen it chooses to imitate.

"Historically, were the elite of the pre-war celebrities and aristocrats., But after 20 years, it begins to be movie stars. It is always the celebrity culture in relation to Hollywood glamor," said Alison Matthews David, assistant professor at the School of Fashion at Ryerson University.

"Young women and young men would strive to look like the stars they saw on the screen -. Too, at a time like depression"

David Matthews recalled the 1932 drama "Letty Lynton" and the famous dress attracted by Joan Crawford as the main character of the film. Adrian designed the white cotton organza gown with its intricate, whimsical ruffled sleeves were often copied, sold around 500,000 replicas at U.S. department store Macy's. Women would also Lynton "Letty" models and their own clothes, notes David Matthews.

More than half a century since "Lynton," iconic style popularized continue to leave a lasting impression through the characters in the film and television.

Armstrong said, the importance of sports apparel in the 1983 cult film "Flashdance" made a mark on women's fashion, with Jennifer Beals conversion of the slouchy, off-the-shoulder, oversized sweatshirt in a statement of timeless style.

On the small screen, Armstrong said: "Miami Vice" had a huge impact on men's clothing and women's clothing. If the prospect of pinning wear suspects shirts in pastels and linen suits may seem far-fetched, they were the go-to species attracted to undercover detectives Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) in 'elegant' 80 crime drama .

"They had the color of Miami, the very strong type of coral sorbet, lighter shades, which are traditionally not been very popular in men's clothing. And then had two very strong men macho types Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas ... who had the high style as well, "Armstrong said.

"He returned after a certain period of the 1920s and 1930s, double-breasted suits and underwear and do not wear collared shirts and linen pants and various tissues have a huge impact on the production and clothing this particular time."

While bringing Costume earn credit their visions to the screen mode, Armstrong and David Matthews agree that this is on the drawings that help to increase the marquee names to more attention.

Armstrong said Diane Keaton from the positions of his own wardrobe for "Annie Hall," help drive the trend of men dressing fashion inspiration for women in the 1970s.

David Matthews said the androgynous look sexy, Marlene Dietrich and "timeless classic" Givenchy dressed Audrey Hepburn accredit in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" as well as the style of an A-lister can help further enhance the attractiveness of their clothes.

"It is often the celebrity wears ... you have star power. Trendsetter you are."

Chopra said the ease of access to images and information to be seen in film and television modes is also a factor.

"I'm the younger generation is to think in line with the media. It's in our faces. It's on your Facebook page, it is in Windows, it's in magazines and digital media is that so in your face., the images, the people are much faster, and they want it, "he said. "You can do something like this (collection Gatbsy), or they go on the road and develop their own taste."

More recently, popular teen-oriented movies and series have embraced preppy chic. The 1995 film "Clueless" and recently wrapped soap "Gossip Girl" with a new spin on the prim school uniform with many bands, ties, jackets, knitwear, kilts and knee socks in the mix

But more than a decade into the 21st Century, it is not necessarily the creation of new styles that are making waves, but the nostalgia and revival style popular in the past, continue to arouse interest.

With its stylish range of richly embroidered dresses and jackets, the number of beads, low waist dresses, wide-brimmed hats and bells, popular British period drama "Downton Abbey" helped fashion in the early 20th Century in the foreground.

Designed with a collection - and slim suits, skinny ties, sleeves and shirt dresses of Don Draper and Co. helped to Emmy-winning drama "Mad Men" catapult of 50 and 60 species of the period of modern landscape supported by Banana Republic in collaboration with the costume designer for the show, Janie Bryant.

"It's a very, very strong, clean aesthetic of the show," Armstrong said. "The lines are beautiful, the colors saturated. This is also a good sophisticated, beautiful looking show.

"I think it will always arouse the enthusiasm of the public and people kind of want a departure from her normal life T-shirts and jeans and go, something that is a little more sophisticated and elegant."

Lauren Hutton: Fashion is dominated by men "sour they are not women"

  In an interview with the magazine motivation Net-A-Porter, the legendary model and actress Lauren Hutton, perhaps best known for playing adultery employer-turned-pro bono love interest in American Gigolo (no one has actually seen it? K) Richard Gere has some opinions about the industry that could raise eyebrows. Or, if you have not, where are your eyebrows eyebrows.

"Most of the time Gars is the fashion rage. This is fucking son of a bitch. Upset that they are not women., But that's why you must use the mode to do what you want, and do not screw around."

Hutton, who said she was naturally skinny in her modeling days think the demand for extreme weight loss has got "more crazy, crazy." (To oppose gravity, but I suspect that this kind of shit was gone forever, but only less openly discussed.)

"The girls are anorexic. Before the girls were naturally thin. Girls who were not there and expanded to starve yourself in the right ... physics."

"Kate [Moss] I knew when she was 14, was still teased by the other models. Were they jealous, but I was the Tiger Queen, I could not crack the whip on them. When we made the cover of Vogue Millennium in all other models, Annie Leibovitz put me in the middle of them, and when I heard the catty remarks about Kate, I have opened my mouth as a bull whip. "

Tiger Queen. I must remember this. And "have it all" (ugh):

"I hate this phrase is worse is that I think I could do something with his invention, I was 30 years old on the cover of people and he was there in the title have a little shiver ran down my back ... There is no such thing, and the women that it could be bad to tell. Whatever pressure on women is bad. "

Suno jumping on the fast track mode with UNIQLO

  While Target and H & M dominate the nation together, Uniqlo is stepping up its game by partnering with Suno!

The design duo Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty combined their penchant 2013 offers brand inspired for signing prints and experimental silhouettes with Japanese roots retailers for "Japanese Americana" collection of spring. "We are a little sweet, simple and easy wanted," Beatty said in a statement.

And who could blame them? Summer is all about the ease with which an emphasis on color and pattern, and collaboration fits perfectly with the season. In addition, the collection will be on shelves 20 May, perfectly set for the unofficial start of summer weekend of Memorial Day. With prices from 19.90 to 39.90 $ be a piece or two of the evenings celebration will be held for the first summer!

Fashion Show 27 April to showcase avant-garde designs

  Matthew Gottesman '13 sees fashion design as a "creative experience", starting with sketches and original knitwear machines, transformed - through intensive testing and error - in appearance, their models fit without fault for 27 Cornell Fashion Collective spring runway show in April .

Citing a "interplanetary expedition into a jungle planet," his collection of pants, shorts, dresses, sweaters and parkas - with the name "Io" after one of the moons of Jupiter - is based on these influences, such as science fiction films " Prometheus "and" Star Wars "and the spacey sounds of the electronic band M83. To develop their aesthetic, he experimented with plastic and nylon parachute and even worked with paper No. 9, a company that specializes in Brooklyn sustainable textiles to create an original, that the obligations of white tissue paper green denim.

Gottesman and more than 40 other student designers - especially the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design (FSAD) in the College of Human Ecology, and some colleges of Arts and Sciences and Architecture, Art and Planning - are busy cutting, sewing and assembly the finishing touches on their pieces for this year's show, scheduled for 07.30 clock in Barton Hall. Each of them to create a look with respect to a common theme, "The Seven Deadly Sins" - - designer in the first year for seniors, which is eight to 10 sets message on the track, the annual show an opportunity for students to showcase their finest examples of haute couture.

"This is a great time and a labor of love, but it is also an intensely rewarding" work, Gottesman said.

Show organizers worked around the clock, too. Susan Freeman '13, the group's president, said the planning of this year's event began shortly after the show last year. She leads a board of eight students to monitor every element of the show - the installation of the track, promotion, casts models, ticket sales and more - making the event one of the only completely out of fashion Cornell students. Freeman, who relies on student volunteers from across campus to stage the show, expects about 2,000 people to attend the show.

"I'm excited to see everything come together," she said. "Almost all the work is done outside the classroom, so that our designers and members of the Executive Council gave so much to the success of the event."

For the first time the show will be broadcast set for the former Cornell and friends through an online platform by the Office of Alumni and Development.

Further experimental pieces Gottesman, designer Caroline Delson '13, who is also a member of the board to a line of men's clothing, the stretch denim, velvet, satin, vinyl, neoprene and contains Japanese cotton to create - often used in combination. Katelyn Ridgeway '13 developed a landline number outerwear that combines the classic wool with modern waterproof and abrasion-resistant materials.

"Very few students have designed their own fabric and create digital prints for them, and many students have taken advantage of laser cutting of this semester," said Delson equipment, high-tech design in building human ecology. "He brought the visual impact of exposure to a new level."

Around 150 are original looks on the runway, modeled by Cornell and even some students. Sophomores show pieces under the motto "Reinstalling the button-down" shirt and team awards Pendleton, a group of designers and FSAD management and business students created, co-molded on a boy scout influenced young male line with fabrics of Pendleton Wool Mills, an iconic American brand of Mort Bishop III '74 led donated.

"The show is a major event - we see it as the culmination of four years of learning, discovery and creative expression," Delson said. "This is not just an opportunity to show our work ... but to celebrate my friends and colleagues in their talents and hard work."