International Children’s Club show - Pitti Immagine Bimbo. 19-21 January, Florence

Pitti Immagine Bimbo - the most important international fashion appointment for kids and teenagers.

From 19th to 21st January 2012 Pitti Bimbo will come back with its fashion week full of events and shows dedicated to childrenswear. Over 510 collections are expected this year, including about 200 from abroad: the collections will be showcased through an area of 47.000 square meters.
A complete overview of children’s fashions, an extraordinary platform for presenting the new lifestyle trends for kids.

Figures of Pitti Bimbo 74
510 brands/collections will be presented at this edition
196 brands from abroad
85 the new names and returns
455 firms participating in the exhibition

more:www.pittimmagine.com

Pitti Bimbo - presents a complete overview of children’s fashions combining it with an extraordinary platform for presenting the new lifestyle trends for kids. From the classic-elegant look of the big names at Pitti Bimbo, to the sportswear at Sport Generation, from the creativity of the brands in the New View and EcoEthic sections to urban couture at SuperStreet, plus design items and textiles for the young set, up to the avant-garde collections at Apartment – it’s all here at Pitti Bimbo and shown via the myriad links connecting contemporary art, food & design and fashion.



see Latest News : 19.01.2012
FORTEZZA DA BASSO - SALA DELLA RONDA

TWIN SET GIRL

Twin Set Girl – Simona Barbieri – The new collection sees honey, aniseed and rum&raisin teamed with black and fun use of shiny and matt fabrics. This gives depth to a single-colour silhouette, featuring micro-floral patterns that look like false plains. Special occasion wear comes in shades of baby blue and powder grey, contrasting with shiny precious embroidery, sequins and laminates. Draping is back: chiffon and jersey combined with chunky knits and maxi cables, lacy work and a hand-knitted look with inserts.

MISS BLUMARINE

Miss Blumarine prod. and distr. by Spazio Sei - on stage Eleonora and Matilde, daughters of Benedetta Parodi and Fabio Caressa, Ginevra, daughter of Alice and Alberto Gilardino and Rosa and Linda, daughters of Claudia Gerini.

Miss Blumarine – A combination of macramé lace and chiffon topped by raw edge flat ribbon thread, garments in stretch techno fabric with lacy embroidery and Tees in jersey embroidered with rhinestone-studded little dogs. Princesses in a snow-covered wonderland choose shades of cream and gold, weightless feathers, gold laminate mesh and macramé, soft furs and tulle embroidered with huge polka dots for skirts and dresses gathered by frills, soft wool bouclé for jackets and little coats.



ELSY

Elsy presents the new collection with a fashion show, on Thursday 19th January at 1.00 pm at the Sala del Rondino.

ELSY Girls approach the winter season with a truly inspired collection in terms of style, with close attention to occasions of use. The ELSY fashion show at Pitti Immagine Bimbo 74 reinvents the season’s must-haves adding some contemporary luxury and presents a large collection exceeding all expectations in terms of quality, versatility and variety. The creative team have focused on four themes, confirming the label’s DNA with a refined easy-to-wear collection and pieces with a strong tailored look, offering perfect wearability for any occasion.



MISS GRANT E GRANT GARÇON - FORTEZZA DA BASSO - SALA DELLA RONDA

Miss Grant – The colours match the collection moods: “Rock’n roll” comes in a two-tone black&milk; “Brit in Blue” teams bronze with ruby colour details; in “Denim Couture”, jeans are combined with shades of water and petrol blue. The bestseller is the eco-fur duffel coat in the warm shades of camel, with rope loop fastenings. Plus the melange grey sweat material parka, little coats in wool and little knitted dresses.

Grant Garçon - A “loose” style with washed garments that look lived in; trousers in sweat material and stitched fabric with a tailored cut, duffel coats with raw cut seams and loop-fastenings. Plus printed Tees instead of shirts and deconstructed blazers in knitted fabrics with raw cut details. Hats and scarves with knitted fringes, patchwork pashminas and flat caps in creased tartan. The big star is the carbon-polished sweat in plains and melange.

Nicki Mminaj as a rising style muse

A New York Times article analyzing the outrageous and often visually arresting style of rapper Nicki Minaj -

Nicki Minaj has been the most talked-about young rapper to settle into the front row at New York Fashion Week since Marc Jacobs embraced Lil’ Kim as his muse in 2005. She is a sought-after cover girl, with spreads in Elle, Cosmopolitan and W magazine. Ms. Minaj sang hits from her debut album, “Pink Friday,” at recent shows for Victoria’s Secret and H&M. She could even claim Halloween last fall, judging from the scores of tutorials on YouTube for fans seeking her fluorescent look and ice cream swirl tresses.

A year ago,Nicki was making dresses for herself in her basement, said John Demsey, group president of Estée Lauder Companies, which owns MAC Cosmetics, the brand that worked with her on a lipstick. “Now the others want to get their hands on her.”

Those “others” are companies hoping to get in the Nicki Minaj business. And business is booming, thanks in part to Ms. Minaj’s behind-the-scenes moves. Like Lady Gaga before her, she wants to be a high priestess of style.

Some pop stars are born, others made, others spring fully formed from the Internet. Ms. Minaj, 29, whose birth certificate reads Onika Tanya Maraj, moved from Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago, to Queens with her parents when she was 5.

By early February, though, Ms. Minaj had sold more than 1 million albums, and fashion designers were beginning to take note. She was widely photographed prowling the red carpet at the Grammy Awards in a leopard-print bubble-skirted dress and matching leggings designed by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, and a Q-Tip shaped wig streaked with black.
more: www.nytimes.com

Dr. Dre headphones

The headphones are coated with plum silver fox fur and cost $695.00

Currently featuring on the "new arrivals" section of the Oscar de la Renta website, the fluffy "luxe silver fox" earmuffs surround a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.

John L. Strong on items such as note cards, invitations and place cards – the set of 12 place cards featured on the site is selling for a more accessible $50.

While de la Renta, which counts rap stars such as Nicki Minaj and Kanye West among its fans, announced the launch of a childrenswear collection for Fall 2012 just last month, the label’s Dre collaboration hints there could be hip-hop themed ventures to come for the ever-expanding brand.

Meanwhile, if the idea of headphone earmuffs appeals but the almost $700 price tag doesn’t, there is a cheaper variety available from Los Angeles-based brand Juicy Couture. The label currently offers Fair Isle-print earmuff headphones on its website for a reduced price of $69.99 (originally $98).

The designer earmuffs are just one example of how fashion houses are increasingly coming up with unexpected items to adorn with their trademark style: labels Hermès and Jimmy Choo’s luxury coffee-cup holders recently caused a stir in the fashion world thanks to their respective prices of $250 and $165.

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS SHOWCASE AT SELFRIDGES -The iconic store names its future fashion design stars

"The idea is for each designer to grow and become a prominent part of London Fashion Week," Iancovici told us. "We really wanted to support the designers at a young age and give them a little boost."

SELFRIDGES (www.selfridges.com) has recruited five of the country's most exciting emerging fashion talents.

2012’s Bright Young Things are:

WOMENSWEAR

Sorcha O’Raghallaigh – womenswear designer and illustrator
Adam Andrascik – womenswear designer
Maarten van der Horst – womenswear designer
Alice Lee – womenswear designer
MASC - womenswear designer

MENSWEAR

Shaun Samson – menswear designer
Astrid Anderson – menswear designer
William Richard Green – menswear designer
Alex Mattson – menswear designer

ACCESSORIES

Oliver Ruuger – accessories designer
T.lipop – menswear and accessories designer

ART & DESIGN

Becky Sloan – artist and propmaker
Tinker & Tailor – artists and interior designers
Archie McLeish – graphic illustrator and product designer
Nuha Razik – photographer

FOOD

Jack Coleman – coffee roaster
In addition to the designers selected by the Selfridges team, one of the Duke Street store windows will showcase the work of seven designers from the University of the Arts London’s prestigious Future Map programme. The Future Map graduates to feature in the window are Alex Kwan, Chieh Ting Huang, Joanna Mires, Jy Yeon Suh, Karin Soderquist, Matthew Nicholson and Pip Jolley.

Image above: Bright Young Things- Shaun Samson, Maarten van der Horst, Alex Mattson, Sorcha O’Raghallaigh

"We are constantly looking for new design talent, whether during London Fashion Week, graduate shows or in Paris trade markets, and these five ticked different boxes," said the store's contemporary buyer Alex Iancovici. "They all really capture the breadth of the Selfridges customer. Masc has this very dark androgynous feel, while Maarten's work is very playful and colourful. Sorcha has worked with Nicola Formichetti and Lady Gaga, so it's really great to have her design exclusive pieces for us."

BURBERRY is officially the most popular luxury label on Facebook and Twitter

BURBERRY is officially the most popular luxury label on Facebook and Twitter, attracting an impressive ten million. Chief creative officer Christopher Bailey posted a message of appreciation earlier this week.

"Ten million Facebook fans! Thank you so much for all your incredible support,"Bailey said.
The only fashion brand to trump Burberry is Victoria's Secret -16,392,731 fans. Behind Burberry is H&M - 8,918,698 fans, followed by Dior, Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

The brand is well known for its technological forward-thinking, having been named the world's most Digitally Competent Luxury Brand in October last year by New York University think tank LuxuryLab. The label boosted its fan count in December 2011, after launching a new initiative offering fans a free sample of its latest fragrance if they liked them on Facebook.

Giorgio Armani's Generous Christmas Gift to Milan

Designer Giorgio Armani is sure to win the hearts of Milanese history buffs with his Christmas gift to the city.

The Italian fashion designer made a donation to restore the baroque facade of the San Francesco di Paola Church in Via Manzoni, a stone’s throw away from the new Armani hotel.

On a silver holiday card with a picture of the church, Armani said the donation was made “thinking of our cities, history and culture. With my best wishes for the holidays and a happy new year.”


more:WWD

Mila Kunis is the new face of Christian Dior

MILA KUNIS (28-year-old) has been named the new face of Christian Dior and fronts the label's spring/summer 2012 Miss Dior handbag campaign.

Mila Kunis was captured by photographer Mikael Jansson for the campaign and told Womens Wear Daily how she is "Honestly just learning about fashion." More of a "jeans and T-shirt" kind of girl, She explains her style as: "In my daily life, I don't wear the most feminine pieces. But I love to feel feminine when I'm on the red carpet."

"Mila Kunis is a very talented young actress; she embodies the true modern woman," explained Dior's deputy general manager Delphine Arnault. "Her performance in Black Swan was remarkable. She is very gifted. We are looking forward to a long relationship with her."
Kunis joins fellow Black Swan star Natalie Portman, who currently stars in the Miss Dior Cherie fragrance. Other Dior muses have included Nicole Kidman, Marilyn Monroe, Marion Cotillard and Charlize Theron.

"I find that Dior is an incredibly grounded house," Mila Kunis told WWD. "I always thought what Dior does is so sophisticated, feminine and beautiful."