Top 10 Fashion Gossip: August 2012

Monday 13 August 2012

Greek Designer Sophia Kokosalaki, Diesel’s Fashion Engine

The iconic fashion brand Diesel may be an Italian company, but it has a young Greek designer who has helped make it a must-buy for its fans: Sophia Kokosalaki, who has her own brand in London and in the past few years has been working as Diesel’s creative director, prepared her last show for them.

Kokosalaki was born and raised in Greece, where she studied literature before moving to London to try her hand in the fashion world and open her own company in 1999, before joining Diesel as well. Kokosalaki worked for the company’s upscale denim brand Diesel Black Gold a/k/a DBG. Since June 2009, Kokosalaki has supervised Diesel creations, turning the Italian firm into a reference point for media and enthusiasts in the modern fashion field.

According to fashion sector followers, her talent and creativity have given a dark and romantic touch to the brand’s clothes and have become an essential part of the New York Fashion Week. The Greek designer’s final collection for the Diesel brand will be showcased at NYC Fashion Week in September this year. Alexa Chung, Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson are some of the celebrities who’ve chosen to wear Kokosalaki’s creations at several events.

Chandni Bar, Fashion To Be Screened In Berlin

Two of filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar's critically-acclaimed movies Chandni Bar and Fashion are in line to be showcased at the Indian Film Festival (IFF), to be held in Berlin from August 15 to 19.

Chandni Bar (2001) put the spotlight on the gritty life of bar girls and the Mumbai underworld, while Fashion (2008) revealed the underbelly of the glamorous fashion world.

Madhur Bhandarkar is humbled by the love and support of the international festival.

"I'm glad that my films have made a special slot for people around the world. I am looking forward to be there for the festival with two of my most loved films - Chandni Bar and Fashion," Bhandarkar said in a statement.

The festival has dedicated a section called "Leading The New Wave" to the director, who is known for making hard-hitting and realistic cinema.

"I have seen almost every film of Madhur Bhandarkar and I always wondered why Germany doesn't get to see his work, so at IFF Berlin, we took this opportunity to screen two of his remarkable films," said Alexandra Ccahuana Tito, chief executive officer of the festival.

The director will also release the new trailer of his upcoming film Heroine at the fest.

RiRi Roams London Streets Secretly For Fashion Inspiration

London, August 13 (ANI): Rihanna has revealed that she secretly wanders around the streets of London to check out what the Brits are wearing.The 24-year-old, who is producing Sky Living series 'Styled To Rock', also confessed that she loves the capital.

"London has always been one of my favourite cities to come to. I always go out on the street walking around to see what the kids are doing. They always set the trends for the designers," the Sun quoted her as saying.

"I find that the kids in London have so much style, so much street style and so much talent. This show was a way for me to give these kids the opportunity to see how far they can go.

The show, whose pilot launches on Tuesday, will hunt for a new British designer, who will create an outfit for the Bajan beauty to wear at London's Wireless Festival next July.The show will be fronted by Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts and feature designer Henry Holland.

"We're hoping to find the next superstar designer to dress superstars. What I'm really looking to find is the next innovative young designer, someone like Vivienne Westwood or Alexander McQueen," Rihanna said.

"These designers are actually the fashion kids on the street who don't have the opportunity to get to the next step.

"The fashion kids always do something new, always do something innovative and that's what this competition is all about, and that's why I came to London. I really wanted to do this show because I love discovering new designers and finding things that are fresh and trendsetting," she added.

Each episode of the show will also feature famous celebrities, including Cheryl Cole, Katy Perry, Little Mix and Pixie Lott.

Island Paradise

The high street chain River Island has roots in the bomb sites of post-war London, but last week came speculation that the company would be expanding into the US early next year.

And with the announcement last month that the store was working on a collaboration with international megastar Rihanna, which will launch next spring, the company seems to be writing its own success story regardless of the recession.

River Island is already firmly established across Europe and Asia, but may yet follow its rival Topshop, which opened a New York store in 2009, and has since expanded across the American heartland. In the US, the concept of the "high street" doesn't exist as it does here, and Topshop's pocket money-friendly take on quirky and cool clothing has proved a hit among young shoppers across the pond.

Although nothing has been confirmed yet, an early season check-in proves that River Island has plenty to shout about: its new collection is stocked full of its own take on the baroque splendour seen on the rather more exclusive catwalks of labels such as Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino for autumn.

Other key influences include edgy youth and street culture, tailored to a customer base that is directional and discerning but keen for a bargain. Prices remain resolutely low, even on items such as shoes and bags that boast thoughtful and complex design features.

"Our customers want fashion with an added twist, and that's exactly what we do," explains Farida Kaikobad, the store's brand director. "New lines go in each week, keeping the stores looking fresh and ensuring customers come back for more. The whole team is very creative and I think this is reflected in our stores – we're often referred to as the 'boutique of the high street!'"

Born as a tiny East London wool shop in 1948, River Island started out as an independent clothing chain across the UK called Lewis Separates, which later morphed into the Sixties high-street hit Chelsea Girl, selling poppy fashion to the teeny-boppers who congregated on the Kings Road. It acquired its current name only in the early Nineties – incidentally, a decade that much of this season's stock harks back to, style-wise.

Having resurrected the Chelsea Girl line in recent years, the company has also added credibility by working alongside designers such as William Tempest, whose line for the brand launches next month, and sponsoring events at London Fashion Week. This season sees the chain hooking up with fashion designers and film-makers too. "River Island is such a successful brand because its style feeds in straight from the street," says Katherine Ormerod, senior fashion news editor at Grazia. "When you're in the stores, you see references taken from music videos, from street style websites and from style icons outside the world of catwalk fashion."

In fact, joining forces with Rihanna came about after the star was spotted out and about wearing several pieces from the store: a simple grey marl T-shirt emblazoned with a Rolling Stones logo; an Aertex mesh cut-out dress, and a pair of barely-there denim hotpants garnered plenty of column inches.

"It's no mean feat when luxury labels are falling over themselves to dress her," continues Katherine Ormerod. "Rihanna is the ultimate street-styler – mashing up insider labels with high street and designer labels, she seems more authentic than many other starlets."

"The River Island shopper is fashion savvy, but not a slave to trends or achingly cool," says Farida Kaikobad. "They all have their own style and shop for either great modern classics or fun seasonal pieces with us."

Sunday 12 August 2012

Seductive, Sizzling SARI

The possibilities potent in sari designing was explored in a variety of ways at the Seematti fashion event in the city

Despite the trendy tunics, smart dresses, seductive skirts and skinny legged denims that are oomphing up wardrobes and ramps alike, the lure of the six yards is still intact. The designer ensemble showcased at textile major Seematti’s fashion event at Le Meridien in Kochi this weekend experimented with the time-tested appeal of the sari.

The traditional weaves from Kacheepuram reinterpreted in fuchsia pinks, tangerine oranges and turquoise blues, dazzled. The authentic zari borders ranged from muted to subtle and conventionally loud. The prints and motifs, conceived by the CEO of Seematti Beena Kannan herself, keep the new-age bride in mind. “They need something that is classic, but with a contemporary twist,” says Beena. Hence, the colours are more vibrant, the combinations wacky and the zari detailing more varied. “Though we have tried to modernise the patterns and designs, we have retained the richness of the traditional silk,” says Beena. Whites, too, got a whole new exposure in Kancheepuram. Creamy, off and stark whites with brilliantly-coloured borders. White is loved universally and for a designer, it presents immense possibilities, she adds.

The first two rounds brought out the best of Kancheepuram and the other displayed the brand’s latest designer wear collection—cottons, nets tussars and mangalgiri. Customers of Seematti got a chance to be the models for the designer cotton collection. While the ghagras, gowns, lehengas and silk saris were flaunted by models from Mumbai. Showstopper Sameera Reddy showed off the resplendent quality of the Kancheepuram in Beena’s signature style orange sari with kasavu. All the garments displayed at the show are available at the showroom.

Seematti has conducted similar shows in the country and abroad including the U.S. and the U.K., says Beena.

Friday 10 August 2012

Fashion Week Boss Struggles With Bills

The organiser of the inaugural Wellington Fashion Week has staged a "new season catwalk show" to recoup costs from the event.

It is understood that Thursday night's BMW Fashion in the Capital showcase at St Johns Bar was in part a bid to cover debts overdue to individuals and businesses involved in Fashion Week.Organiser Cameron Sneddon said at the wrap party for the five-day-long event in April that it had cost $100,000 and left him "a little out of pocket".

Members of his management team now claim that Wellington Fashion Week Ltd, of which Mr Sneddon is the director and sole shareholder, owes thousands of dollars to people who made the event possible.Former production manager James Butters said that, less than a week before the April 18 launch, Mr Sneddon told him that "we'vegot no money and all spending has to stop".

"My first thoughts were, why weren't we warned earlier? How are we going to be able to pull off a fashion week with no money?"

Mr Sneddon refused to be interviewed or answer detailed questions, but said in an email that Wellington Fashion Week had been a "huge success".

"Financially it brought money into the local economy . . . during the low season. With any event in its first year, it is a learning curve as we started up from scratch and brought an amazing event to the capital."

He said it would be "even more of an impressive event next year".

Days before the launch, $12,500 of catering services were cancelled in an attempt to curb all non-essential spending.Models and volunteers were also expected to cover associated costs such as meals and taxis themselves.One model said he and many others missed out on wages in order to take part. He was owed $300, but knew of female models owed more.

"We're all out of pocket. There's usually a delay in payment for modelling, but nobody expected it to go on this long."

He said he had refused an opportunity to model in Fashion in the Capital. "I said there's no way that we were going to help him out and not get paid for it again."

Though venue hire for Massey University's Great Hall - offered at a discounted rate - had been paid, the cost of hiring extra security and cleaning staff for the event was still outstanding.Massey communications director James Gardiner said some aspects of Mr Sneddon's management of Fashion Week "caused us concern".

"We'd want to talk to him about those before we considered supporting it again in future . . . that would depend on him clearing any debts he owes to Massey."

Kirsty Bunny, of Kirsty Bunny Management, which supplied models for both Fashion Week and Fashion in the Capital, said this week she was in discussions with Mr Sneddon regarding overdue payment for Fashion Week, and she was "hopeful of a good outcome".

Jack Candlish, of STIK Signworks, who has not been paid for promotional signage for the event, defended Mr Sneddon's vision.

"He's working hard to repay the debt and I'd encourage him to treat this year's event as a learning curve.

"No-one ever cracks it on their first attempt."

Fashion Week sponsors included Wellington International Airport, Wellington City Council, the Museum Hotel, and Kirkcaldie & Stains. Tickets to the main group shows cost $80.

Thursday night's show was nearly a sellout, a spokeswoman for Dash Tickets said.

The capacity of St Johns is 300.

Thursday 9 August 2012

Trends Don't Work, Says JJ Valaya

Ace designer J.J. Valaya doesn't believe in the concept of trends. He says each person should create his or her own fashion identity.

"I don't believe in trends. My personal opinion is that trends don't work. Just wear something, stand in front of the mirror and just be honest to yourself. If it works for you, it's trendy enough," Valaya told IANS.

"There are always some basic trends but by and large you don't have to be very fashion conscious," he added. The veteran designer launched a new initiative, JJ Valaya Luxury Weddings, a four-day wedding exposition. He has collaborated with Fashion One International to offer specialised services by companies like Ferns n Petals, The Entertainment Design Co., Tamarai Luxury Catering, The Badal-Raja Company and Gitanjali Jewellery.

After Tarun Tahiliani, Valaya is the second Indian designer to start an exposition of this nature. He has his reasons. "When you think of top Indian wedding designers, four or five popular names come to your mind, who have been handling the market for a while. So something like this becomes a natural extension for us.

"This is something which is second skin, since we deal with brides and grooms in family all the time. There has been a lot of enquiry to give creative direction to weddings. So we came upon with this idea," he said.

Vijay Singh, managing director, Fashion One International, said: "The purpose of coming together for JJ Valaya Luxury Weddings is to establish a credible design platform for sophisticated and bespoke wedding concepts."

Valaya, who showcased his collection "The Azark" at the opening day Delhi Couture Week, says the purpose behind JJ Valaya Luxury Weddings is to cater to the India's big fat weddings.

"This is open to potential wedding clients. When we start working with customers, then every wedding will be designed exclusively. Our endeavour is not take (organise) tons of weddings. We just want to do five to six top weddings of the country and make them absolutely fabulous and mind blowing," he said.

Tuesday 7 August 2012

Lakme Fashion Week: Wasseypur's Huma Qureshi Takes To The Ramp

If she wowed movie buffs with her performance in Gangs of Wasseypur, actress Huma Qureshi impressed fashionistas when she walked the ramp on Tuesday in a black dress as showstopper for Atithi Gupta at the fifth and final day of Lakme Fashion Week 2012.

For Huma, Atithi Gupta created a black dress with uneven drape hemline and teamed it up with golden zardosi sleeveless shrug.

"I work on detailing. My garments look simple but there is lot of texturing and gathering. I wanted to keep it minimalistic, stylish and different," said Atithi Gupta.

When asked why she chose Huma as her showstopper, the designer explained: "In her forthcoming movie Gangs of Wasseypur 2, Huma plays the love interest of a gangster. There is lot of drama to her character in the film, she tries to imitate Madhuri Dixit. I thought this would add drama to my garments and that she would do justice."

The music of Gangs Of Wasseypur played in the background when the actress sashayed down the ramp and it was a perfect promotion for part two of the film, releasing Wednesday. Director Anurag Kashyap, who showed up a little late, was there to cheer for Huma.Atithi's collection offered dresses, pleated skirts, draped outfits, jumpsuits and she also experimented with unique jackets and fluid pants.

She used a mix of fabrics like georgette, wrinkled crepe, chiffons and cotton silks to give a feminine and classy feel to her garments. A wide range of colors including blue, pastel purples, black and grey was used.The final day also saw collections by other new designers - Nupur Kanol and Ruchika Sachdeva.

Whitney Port Asks Fans To Fund Her Fashion Show

TV personality-turned-fashion designer Whitney Port, best known as one of the stars of MTV’s reality shows The Hills and The City, has made an appeal to her fans so that she can stage her Whitney Eve catwalk show during New York Fashion Week

In a video appeal, entitled ‘Road to Runway’, Port appeals for 50,000 Dollars to help her produce the “first fan-supported runway show” by asking for her fans to pay for the venue, make-up artists, models, production and publicity costs in order to stage her show at Manhattan's Lincoln Center.

Port, who is thought to be worth 3.5 million Dollars, launched her mid-price label in 2008 and held her debut catwalk show at New York Fashion Week last season says in the video: "I'm doing something that's never been done before - the first-ever fan-supported fashion show at fashion week in New York. That means I'm asking you, the friends and fans who've made everything I do possible, to join the crowd-funding campaign."

To entice fans to donate, Port has listed a number of “perks” for contributing, for example five Dollars will get you a personalised thank you tweet, fifty Dollars will let you be one of the first to “rock” a piece from the Whitney Eve spring 2013 line, and the first five donors to give 250 Dollars will get a visit to the New York headquarters in the run up to the show for a behind-the-scenes tour. With other incentives including gift cards, bracelets, makeovers and Port even hints that one lucky donor will win a front row seat at the show.

It isn’t unheard of for small fashion labels to need a cash injection ahead of fashion week, most however look to corporate sponsorship deals, opting for “crowd-funding” is an unconventional approach but in Port’s mission statement she adds that this process allows her to share her art in a way that “educates and involves her fans” and allows them “to be an integral part of the process”.

With 35 days left of the ‘fix-funded’ campaign on Indiegogo it seems Port’s fans aren’t too concerned with her fashion label as she has only raised 3,103 Dollars. The current Britain’s Next Top Model judge will only receive her needed campaign funds if she hits her 50,000 Dollar goal by September 10.

Monday 6 August 2012

Fashion Inspired By The Art Of Ballet

Watching the Fire Bird ballet by Igor Starvinsky in Vienna was a revelation for Sanchita Ajjampur. “It was an opportunity to savour the interplay between music, choreography and visual art,” says the designer, recounting the experience. So when she was looking for inspiration for a new line, the Fire Bird was a natural choice. To be unveiled at the Lakme Fashion Week on Monday, Sanchita’s Fire Bird line is a “tapestry of dark and delicate stories from the iconic ballet, highlighting the glamour of the ball gown and its contextual accessories down the fashion decades,” the designer says, adding, “This line is all about balancing ecstasy and harmony and making it excitingly modern.”

Sanchita’s collection is divided into the womenswear and menswear segments, with the line for women featuring plenty of delicate sheers embellished with exotic cut feather shapes and punched fabrics, metallic black, gold and rigid plastic (to impart a futuristic feel) and chiffons with opulent embellishment. The menswear segment however, draws from a vastly difference source — the Wild, Wild West.

“The creative spirit of the Wild West is an endlessly renewable style,” says Sanchita. “The Native Amer-ican influences are seen in the decorative detailing and add to the functionality of the garment. I’ve tried to deconstruct and explore mythology through new proportions where art and functionality collide.”

She may count Isabella Duncan and Tabitha Simmons among her personal style reference points, but she doesn’t design for any particular muse, Sanchita says: “It’s about a whole lifestyle where everything you inhabit is sumptuous. The clientele is mainly fashionable art-lovers, whose clothes reflect their avant-garde thinking. My creations are the ultimate expression of style, for those wanting to project it. I design for a stylish person who can balance individuality with conformity, and most of all, is intelligent, with a strong sense of self.”

Fashion Blog Dedicated To Olympic Scrunchies Emerges

With the London games still in full swing, it seems everyone has come down with a case of Olympic fever. And while most are glued to their TV sets hoping to catch a glimpse of the newest athlete to win that coveted gold, there are some more fashion-focused viewers who are interested in one thing only: the scrunchies.

The scrunchie, as you probably know, is an elastic hair tie covered in a ton of fabric. They were most popular in the '80s-'90s, but still pop up now and then on the likes of a wide array of Olympians, as well as on Hilary Clinton.

"Olympic Scrunchies" is a fabulous Tumblr dedicated to the most fantastic array of Olympians and their hair accessories of choice that was discovered by the folks at Racked.

A blog dedicated to the hair accessory, the site proudly declares: "There should be Olympic medals for the best scrunchies."

While the blog hasn't been updated in a few months, its relevance is clearer than ever amidst the excitement of the 2012 Olympic games. I mean, just look at it's most recent post:

"1 white angelic Nancy Kerrigan scrunchie, and 1 black hot mess Tonya Harding scrunchie."

Exciting Fashion Trends Monsoon

It’s been a while since we bid Spring/Summer 2012 adieu. With the rains making a more frequent appearance, it is also time to wash out our wardrobes and say hello to the exciting fashion trends Monsoon 2012 has brought with it. The focus of this season is the colour palette. The monochromatic look is in. B-town stars like Genelia D’Souza, Kareena Kapoor and Anushka Sharma have paved the way for this trend. Apart from making you look slimmer, monotone dresses are ideal as day as well as evening wear.

Here’s where you can accessorise all chunky and bling. This is that time of the year when you swap your pretty pastels for brighter colours. Marigold yellow, psychedelic pink, electric blue, indigo and raspy orange are the hot and happening shades now. The key to wearing these colours right is by teaming them up with neutral shades.

Black and white, together and separately, are prime choices for dresses in particular. The one item of clothing that can never go out of style is the ubiquitous denims. However, each season, they make their presence felt with a quirky twist. This time around, ripped jeans are in vogue, especially in the flared and boot cut styles. Tank tops go best with this getup. If you prefer to wear your skinny jeans, make sure you team it up with either a biker jacket or a non baggy sweatshirt to complete your look.

As women get daring, it comes as no surprise that hot pants have won the adulation of many a damsel. But you’ve got to have toned legs to carry it off. Colour block tops are in. However, wearing such apparel with a combination of more than three colours could spell disaster.

Where fabric is concerned, silicon washed materials for trousers are advised. A blend of rayon and cotton is a sensible choice. Men should wear linen trousers through this season. As far as accessories go, it is obvious that the umbrella is something you cannot not carry this season. Move over black, colour block, pop art and newsprint umbrellas are a hit.While crocs, flip-flops and rubber mules are usually given preference, don’t forget platforms, wedges and boots also raise your fashion quotient. In terms of makeup, always wear waterproof makeup and go for nude tones. You can wear your hair loose or you braid it. The whole point is to keep your look simple but chic.

Fergie Joins Case-Mate To Launch Mobile Device Fashion Accessories Campaign

Case-Mate is the international design company known for creating fashion-forward accessories that protect, adorn, and enhance mobile technology. In the upcoming campaign, Fergie will join Selena Gomez and Common on Case-Mate's growing roster of fashionable celebrity trend-setters who will inspire Millennials to outfit their smartphones, tablets and other portable electronic devices with cases that complement their various styles and individual personalities.

The integrated marketing campaign will include broadcast, digital, and social media-based programming. In addition, Fergie and Common will be co-hosting a mobile accessories fashion event in New York City for Case-Mate during 2013 Spring Fashion Week this September.

"I'm a huge believer in changing up my look to express the way I feel – and am always looking for fun accessories to spice up my outfit so I feel confident and sexy," said Fergie. "I'm really excited about partnering with Case-Mate – they are such a fun, edgy brand that I relate to on so many levels."

The rock-star-turned-fashion-designer is known for her chic and flirtatious sense of style. Fergie was named to People Magazine's "Best Dressed" List and has since launched Fergie™ and Fergalicious by Fergie™ footwear lines, along with fragrances Viva, Outspoken and Outspoken Intense.

"Fergie's free spirit and passion-for-fashion make her a perfect fit for Case-Mate," said Shashi Reddy, Case-Mate's founder and CEO. "She's a creative icon that has broken through barriers in film, music and fashion – and we are thrilled to be working with her."

The campaign is set to air beginning in September 2012.

Item Songs Inspired Rohan Arora's Footwear Line

Designer Rohan Arora says he wanted to create a longer lasting impression on fashionistas and therefore based his footwear collection on Bollywood item songs.Arora Monday presented his collection Item, which had a range of colourful footwear for men and women including embroidered loafers and sequenced wedges, at the ongoing Lakme Fashion Week Winter-Festive 2012. He says that it was inspired by bright and colourful look of Bollywood item numbers.

"The collection is inspired from the item boys and girls of Bollywood. An item song is always remembered even if the film flops, in the same way my shoes will be remembered even if the outfit doesn't work for you," Arora said after the show.

His show was followed by Jewellery designer Nitya's collection titled Nouveau Gypsy from her label Valliyan.With folk folk music playing in the background, a perfect ambience was created for models who sashayed down the ramp flaunting gold armlets, long chains with gold tassels and hand cuffs.

"My collection is based on the new age Indian gypsy women. Gypsies travel from place to place with all their jewellery on. But the modern Indian woman likes to store them at home. I want to encourage the tradition of travelling with your jewellery," she explained.

Jewellery designers Kavya and Sasha from the label Outhouse also presented a jewellery collection. Titled Leone d'oro, which means the golden lion, it had strong geometric body armaments for the modern women.The collection included contemporary gold jewellery with colourful stones and "they signify festivity, strength and fierceness," the duo said.

The show ended with Tanya Sharma's garment collection - a mix of men and women wear line - under her label Gaga. The star of her collection was a colourful dupatta draped like a sari on men's formal pants and short collared jacket.

Cutting Edge Introduction: Followers Of Fashion

Focusing on how often a trading strategy ends on the winning side can distract from the question of whether it profits on average. The key is in the return distribution’s skew – and at least for trend-following strategies this can be directly controlled. Laurie Carver introduces this month’s technical articles

Asset price bubbles are often driven by investors on winning streaks that then spectacularly fail in the following bust, known in financial folklore as picking up pennies in front of a steamroller. The track record of such traders looks great – until their gains are wiped out. But the flipside of this – tail risk strategies – can get a bad rap, as the big win that makes up for a long history of small losses may take time to arrive
Trend-following strategies can sometimes appear this way – racking up a large fraction of losing trades – but may still have positive expected returns over a sufficiently long horizon because of the outsize gains when a trend kicks in. This effect means the distribution of trading returns of pure trend-following strategies are positively skewed, even if market returns are not, as Richard Martin, chief quantitative investment officer at Longwood Credit Partners argues in Momentum trading: ’skews me. It is this skewness of returns that allows the strategy to retain earnings while the market moves away from the trend, regardless of what the expected daily return is.

Martin uses results from the theory of complex functions to derive analytic formulas for the skew in the simple case where the position taken is an exponentially weighted moving average, and shows it has a characteristic shape as a function of the number of trading days in the return period, decaying slowly after a peak. Two datasets are examined, one on Swiss franc-US dollar futures, and one on S&P 500 futures.

“If you rate fund managers using a win ratio or the Sharpe ratio, you leave yourself open to this effect of a big loss wiping out your gains further down the line,” says Martin. “For instance, if you wrote protection on high-grade corporates, you’d make money about 99% of the time, but that last 1% of the time you might lose very badly. In the trend-following case, the strategy is simple enough that it’s possible to get hold of that effect in the skew.”

Once trend following is mixed with the reverse strategy – investing counter to trends – more general skewness profiles can be generated. There is a trade-off between the short-term negative skew of the counter-strategy and the positive skew of the trend. “The idea is the market can vibrate back and forth, so you try to cash in on some of the short-term mean reversion as well. It’s dependent on the investment horizon – the long-term survival probability of the strategy is linked to having positive skew at that timescale,” he says.

What is perhaps most striking is the generality of the results – they are independent of assumptions about expected returns – and the wide skew shapes that can be realised. “It seems quite robust with respect to expected returns, which is good because unless you believe the efficient market hypothesis – in which case it’s zero – then you don’t really know much about that,” says Martin. “But the tractability of these strategies to analysis of the skewness means you can tailor them to generate particular shapes for how gains and losses are distributed.”

Also this month, Vladimir Piterbarg, head of quantitative research at Barclays in London, returns to the effect of collateral agreements on derivatives pricing following his celebrated article published by Risk in 2010 (Risk February 2010, pages 97–102). Cooking with collateral attempts no less than a re-examination of the foundations of derivatives pricing in an all-collateralised world. It turns out many classical arguments are still valid, provided one keeps track of the right rate at which collateral appreciates interest.

Until a standardised credit support annex becomes a reality, removing some of the non-standard features of collateral agreements – such as exposure values that trigger collateralisation, or the option to choose which currency to post in – they should be treated as embedded derivatives (Risk September 2011, pages 24–27). In this latter case, Piterbarg gives a simple model to value the contract, based on a first-order expansion of the spread between the rates earned on the different currencies.

Capes & Cloaks For Fall

Call them futuristic, superhero-ish or out of a vampire movie, capes have an association with a whole lot of fictional figures. Well, fictional if you consider Batman, Superman and Edward Cullen to be limited to the silver screen only. Rebels have translated this comic book and fairytale fashion into the curated wardrobe, giving capes a large appeal.

Capes and cloaks have existed, in one variety or another, through much of our known human history. From early Medieval mantles, to 16th century decorative shawls; from military officers capes and 1940s fur stoles, to the fringed ponchos of the 1960s. But what used to be a British army uniform has now become a must-have item for the fall 2012 fashion season. The capes for this season are offering more variety and styling options, as opposed to their popularity back in 2010. The only issue women have with this super-sized silhouette is to risk looking like a pitched tent in the backyard. And because you asked, we have the solution for you that’ll make capes seem as high-end and non-fiction as they can be.

Despite the lack of proportion seen in the fall / winter 2012 runway, the styling of capes seem to have manifested detailing and tailoring. Continue reading after the break on how Fashionising.com sub-sections this superhero uniform into a statement piece for you.

Sunday 5 August 2012

Lorelli Aspires To Be Top Model

HOPES are high for 19-year-old Lorelli Monteath who will be strutting her stuff in the regional competition for Miss Teen Australia in Mackay later this month.

No rookie to beauty pageants, Lorelli has competed in Miss Showgirl, Miss Country Girl and some other smaller competitions.And despite the images of beauty pageants painted by Hollywood, she said it's a much more down-to-earth experience.

"I think the movies play it out a little bit," she said.

"A girlfriend of mine does the Miss V8 competition and she said it gets pretty full on there, (but at Miss Teen) everyone knows as soon as you walk in you're getting judged on your social graces.

"I know I would be happy to help other girls with their hair or makeup."And as the oldest of seven children, that maternal instinct comes into play as well.

"I do have quite a bit of a mother instinct," she said. "Some of my friends get a bit annoyed with me.

"I think that comes into play. It gives you a bit of a different attitude, you can put up with a bit more."

Luckily those six siblings, the youngest of whom is four, coupled with her mum form quite the cheer squad.

"Mum said I have to call her before and after," she said.

"They're all excited for me. The one directly underneath is a bit of a tomboy, so she's like 'why would you got to Mackay for a modelling competition?' but secretly I think she wants me to do well.

"My other two sisters get really excited, they want to know what I'm wearing and how I'm going to do my hair."

On August 18, Lorelli will compete against girls from Mackay, Bundaberg and Rockhampton, one of whom will be chosen to go on to the State competition.

Sean Penn Joins Chavez On Campaign

US actor Sean Penn joined President Hugo Chavez at an election rally in Venezuela on Sunday, bringing a dash of Hollywood to the campaign as he rode with him atop a truck past cheering supporters.Penn is a friend of Chavez, who hopes to win a new six-year term on October 7. The campaign has turned into the toughest fight of the president's political career.

"Thank you very much for visiting us again, dear friend," Chavez said after introducing Penn to the big crowd in the central city of Valencia. "We're all Americans, from the north, the center, the south. Long live the American continent!"Penn, in a white shirt and sunglasses and accompanied by Argentine producer Fernando Sulichin, waved from the stage, fist-bumped and hugged Chavez, but did not address the rally.

The Oscar-winning actor, screenwriter and director is well-known for his political and social activism.He was a vocal critic of the administration of former US President George W Bush, and was involved in humanitarian efforts following Haiti's earthquake and Hurricane Katrina.Last year, Penn worked for the release of two US hikers who were arrested in Iran, flying to Venezuela to ask Chavez to intervene on their behalf with Iran's leader.

Most polls in South America's top oil exporter give Chavez a double-digit lead ahead of the vote. He says he is completely cured after three cancer operations in the last year, although few details have been released about the 58-year-old's condition.Chavez's rival, 40-year-old former state governor Henrique Capriles, has also been drawing big crowds. The opposition says its polls show Capriles will win in October.

Celebrity Fashion & Style - Olivia Wilde Designs, Promotes Alternative Apparel Bag for Haiti School

Celebrity Fashion & Style - Olivia Wilde is using her fashion sense to help others, specifically she has designed and is promoting a bag that will use part of its profits for a school in Haiti.Olivia Wilde has created a bag for Alternative Apparel.

The 28-year-old beauty has revealed she thought of the idea to design a limited edition Message bag that can benefit the Academy for Peace and Justice - a secondary school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti - while on location in the country with her friend Barbara Burchfield.

She told PEOPLE: ''We really wanted to come up with a creative, alternative way of fundraising.

''One thing we always had with us were bags we could take anywhere - on a pickup truck, to a hospital, sleeping in a tent. It would have a scarf, bug spray, a camera, malaria pills - and we wanted to recreate it with Alternative.''

Check out more fashion photos in the gallery below.

Olivia - who was voted Sexiest Vegetarian by PETA in 2010 - is hoping to convince people to purchase the bag, which is available for $138, because it will be beneficial to the school and it can also be worn as a backpack or cross-body.

She added: ''We're encouraging people to think about where they spend their money. We're not telling people not to shop, but rather be conscious about your commerce.

''Not only does [Alternative] use sustainable materials, but they're a good company of good people. They have values that are parallel with ours.''

Bridge The Gap

triking a balance between Eastern traditions and Western construction, Deepika Govind’s creations are both avant-garde and classic. Her Pop Patola line which was unveiled at the Lakme Fashion Week recently weaves together “the warp of the ancient and the weft of the modern”.

What is the story behind your latest collection, Pop Patola?
I spent a few years in Gujarat. It was a long and intense journey and I found myself spellbound by the exquisite handcrafted detailing (in textiles). We are aware that states like Gujarat and Rajasthan are rich in textile craft, but to actually experience it on the road was sheer joy. So that brought a question to my mind, how would a Gujarati girl living in the US, who had never known her culture, react if she encountered the wealth of her hometown? Being modern, she would interpret her tradition in a slightly offbeat, irreverent way…her expression of Patola would be contemporary...that’s how the seeds of Pop Patola were sown.

When you work with something like the Patola, which is so rooted in tradition, does it take a lot of creative courage to re-imagine it?
Patola is rooted in tradition but what I am trying to tell the world is, “Hey, look at this magnificent weave again”. I love the villages as much as I love the cities. This is my own way of trying to bridge that gap.

How do you stay enthusiastic enough to keep pushing the boundaries?
Every canvas is a signature work. Therein begins this journey to make an offering of something unique.

You’ve said that this line marks a new dimension to your design direction…in what way?
My work has always been so much more serious and research-based and at times, technical too. I was always inclined towards the sombre and mysterious aspects of the aesthetic. And all of a sudden, I just felt that this should be a celebration, it should be fun.

What formed your choice of silhouettes?
The silhouettes are clean and chic. The textile should speak, it has to be a stunning visual and whatever the silhouette or detailing, it has to be minimised so it doesn’t eclipse the textile.

Do you design for a particular muse?
My muses are all dusky-hued Indian girls with earthiness and allure….and the thousands of Indian women who have such fine taste and have kept cottage industries going by splurging on woven products.

What do you hope audiences will take away from their viewing of the line?
The concept that our traditions and our heritage can be fun too and could slip easily into our modern lives.

Talented High Schoolers Show Off Their Inspired Designs At Teen Fashion Awards

The high school students designed and made outfits across four categories - casual wear, formal wear, wearable art, society and environment.

Georgia Colyer, 17, from Coromandel Valley, said she was inspired by the film Black Swan and Swan Lake to create her dress for the wearable art category. "I used four packets of diamantes on my shoes. It took a long time to glue them on," the Scotch College student said. "I would ideally like to be a professional dancer but if that doesn't work out, I would like to do something in costume design."

Fellow designer Azzy Cisternino, 16, wanted to create an outfit with a sweet and sour concept before deciding on her "butterfly" piece.

"At one stage I lost hope and thought it wasn't going to work out, but I'm now glad it has turned out," she said. "It was great fun and we've got great staff here to help us."

Top placegetters will compete in the national final in Melbourne on October 6.

Gangs of Wasseypur's Richa Chadda Takes To The Run way!

Here's a look at designer Debarun Mukherjee's collection from the third day of the LFW. Photographs: Rajesh Karkera

Inspired by "the spiritual presence of the Almighty", Debarun Mukherjee showcased a collection of serene style called 'Omnipresent' at Lakme Fashion Week today, which opened with a graceful dance performance by renowned Manipuri dancer, Rinku Dutt.

Taking a cue from the famous iznik tiles of Turkey, all the garments were blue as a constant, with base tones of beige and black; fusion silhouettes tailored to the the festive and bridal season included layered dhoti skirts, Mandarin collar tops, elegant pleated pants and luxurious saris.

And while actress Richa Chadda of Gangs of Wasseypur closed the show, first on the ramp was her namesake, playback singer Richa Sharma, in a printed layered ghagra, high-collar top and double-layered inner.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Leading Footwear Fashion Brands At Espacio GLAM In Spain

MODACALZADO+IBERPIEL, the International Footwear and Leather Goods Fair, will once again confirm its status as the leading showcase in the world for high-quality and creative Spanish footwear during the staging of its thirtieth edition between 22nd and 24th September at Feria de Madrid. The glamour Section and, specifically, its special area known as Espacio GLAM, will provide the best showcases in Spain for high-category footwear and accessory brands, whose products are likely to set the trend in footwear and leather accessories for Spring-Summer 2013.

It will be organised by ifema, the fair will take place from 22nd to 24th September 2012 at Feria de Madrid.Number of Spanish and foreign companies that have managed to position their products at the leading showcases in all of the world's capitals due to the high quality and prestige of their designs.

A good example of this is provided by the renowned designers who will be taking part in this area, such as Pura López, Chie Mihara, Luis Onofre, Muxart o Ramón Tenza; the exclusive and chic creations by Magrit, children's footwear by Ponti or the prestigious collections from brands such as Hoss Intropia, Homers, Baltarini, Patricia, Plummers, Platón Calzados, Uad Medani, Colchic Collection - Sinela and Lola Torres, among others.

The French brand, Robert Clergerie, whose label and designs are synonymous with the ideas of luxury and glamour that emanate from France, will be taking part in this grand fashion showcase within the espacio glam area, alongside the Danish brand, Ilse Jacobsen, that has won itself a niche within the fashion world thanks to its handmade lace-up Wellington boots.

Alongside the most striking and sophisticated footwear creations, espacio glam will also present the latest designs in leather goods, such as those of the German company, Abro, and the Spanish company, Dimoni, who have both confirmed their participation at the event and will present their leather accessory designs for next Spring-Summer 2013.

Since it was founded back in September 2009, Espacio glam has always been warmly welcomed by exhibiting companies and the trade professionals who visit the fair, not only due to the designs of this special area and its competitive stands (featuring a good image/price ratio), but also because of the high levels of quality, design and sophistication offered by the participating brands, all of which form part of the high end of the market.

In addition to the high stature of the products that are brought together, visitors to Espacio GLAM highlight its convenience, given that this area brings together all of the leading firms within the same section.This grand event will take place on 22nd, 23rd and 24th September at Feria de Madrid, between Saturday and Monday from 9.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. over its first two days, and from of 9.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on its last day.

FashionTakes A Cue From Food Carts

FashionTakes A Cue From Food Carts

WASHINGTON — The first time the brakes went out in her trailer/store, Joey Wolffer ran a stoplight and worried what would happen to her high-end accessories inside. Two years later, she has a close relationship with a mechanic, knows the best spot to park in New York’s Meatpacking district and has a devoted summer following in the Hamptons.

Wolffer transformed a greasy potato chip truck into a 1980s glam, bohemian den she named “Styleliner." It is stocked with limited-edition accessories, like a $430 crystal and fringe necklace, from her world travels.

Friends were always asking Wolffer where she got a piece of jewelry, and the former trend director for Jones Apparel Group said she was looking for a unique way to introduce some favorite designers to the U.S. market, along with some of her own creations. She bought the truck with money she inherited and set up shop.

Styleliner is among a handful of mobile retail stores in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Portland and across the U.S. that are hawking vintage accessories, sexy shoes and denim to die for in their haute wheels. Owners say they’re taking cues from the food truck industry, which glamorized street cuisine, garnered a cult following and even spawned a hit TV show.

“I wanted relationships with customers. I wanted to get out there and work with people and meet new people all the time," said Wolffer, who made a profit her first summer in business in 2010.

A new shopping experience

The boutiques on wheels can only accommodate a few customers at a time, providing a more intimate shopping experience than a crowded department store. Styleliner can fit about five customers at a time.

“The old door-to-door salesman is too difficult in today’s world, but we’re seeing an uptick in bringing the product to the consumers," said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at New York-based NPD group.

It’s also a cheaper way for startup companies to break into the business quickly.When former fashion editor Sarah Ellison Lewis wanted to open a funky shoe boutique in Austin, Texas, she had sticker shock every time she saw the price for a store lease. So for a quarter of the price she bought a 30-foot trailer, decorated it with vintage wallpaper photography and reclaimed wooden benches, and leased a parking spot between a chic hotel and a popular brunch spot.

She declined to say how much she paid for the truck or her parking spot. Retail spots in hot Austin neighborhoods can be as high as $45 per square foot, according to Habitat Hunters Real Estate Services. Lewis does not pay property taxes, but many mobile retailers are required to pay permit fees, which vary by city.

The 36-year-old stylist specializes in smaller, hard-to-find designers of men’s and women’s shoes. Bootleg Austin’s customers — about 50 a weekend — love to paw through her well-curated collection that includes black ankle booties with gold buckles, polka dot flats and gold metallic lace-up sandals. The trailer was turning a profit in nine months, says Lewis, who predominantly sells from her leased space, but is about to embark on a 20-city tour this fall.

“This was about being an entrepreneur and doing it in a strange and audacious way and the trailer brings out all these great stories from people that I love," said Lewis. “I wanted to do something that was also really friendly and really warm. I’m really sick of retails being cold and stark and snotty."

Experts say traditional stores want to collaborate with mobile retailers, not compete with them. The trend comes as brick and mortar stores are struggling to get customers excited about shopping in a struggling economy.

“It’s an opportunity to get (customers) into the parking lot and go to the mobile truck and we believe there’s overflow traffic that goes right into the store from there," said Mike Gatti, a senior vice president of the National Retail Federation. “We’re not hearing really any complaints about them."

Customers are also drawn to the novel experience and personal attention they get from mobile retailers.

“People love it. You are now back to the social aspect of shopping," said Cohen.

In Portland, shoppers sift through vintage dresses and men’s ties on a tricked-out double-decker bus. The Fashion Truck features cute and affordable clothes from its Boston-based trailer. A chevron print shift dress sells for $48.

Other industries

And it’s not just retail. Experts predict consumers will see more industries, including medical and home furnishing, hitting the road.The Man Cave offers haircuts, shoe shines and neck massages in an air-conditioned trailer with high-end cigars and a humidifier. Owner Julia Hutton also runs two other mobile retailers in Phoenix, including Biker, Babes and Beyond LLC and Bling N’ Things.

Hutton’s other company, ExTreme ReTrailers, designs custom trailers to look like mini-stores on wheels. The trailers include wireless credit card machines, changing rooms and air conditioning.Trailers start at $10,000. Hutton has five companies looking to purchase within the month, including a massage business, a pet products retailer and a craft store, she said.

She decided to take her store on the road after struggling to get enough foot traffic at her biker store in northern Arizona.Hutton says mobile retailers solve a lot of problems for entrepreneurs in a struggling economy.

“They own their own business. They own their own building that the business is in. They own their own billboard. They have a traveling billboard wherever they go."

FiveThings You Didn't Know About Yves Saint Laurent

The late designer Yves Saint Laurent is famous for his several contributions to the world of fashion. Today, on his birthday we share the top five things that you probably didn't know about him:

1. Yves Henri-Donat Matthieu-Saint Laurent was born in French occupied Algeria and moved to Paris in his late teens. In 1953, he won a fashion design contest organized by the International Wool Secretariat and Christian Dior was so impressed by his winning designs that he hired young Saint Laurent on the spot. After Dior’s sudden death, Saint Laurent was appointed Head Designer of the House of Dior at the young age of 21.

2. Yves Saint Laurent was the first French designer to create prêt-à-porter line, Rive Gauche, to democratize fashion and make it easily available to more people. He was also the first designer to use ethnic models in his shows.

3. Two of Saint Laurent’s greatest contributions to women’s wear are the "trapeze dress" and "Le Smoking". The trapeze dress was a part of Saint Laurent’s first collection as head designer of Dior. The dress debuted in the 1958 Dior Spring Collection and sprung him immediately to international fame. The dress had fitted shoulders and flared outwards from below the shoulders giving it a softer look.

"Le Smoking" was the first classic tuxedo suit for women and was introduced in 1966. With the tuxedo suit for women, Saint Laurent pioneered the androgynous minimalist look, which became increasingly popular. Saint Laurent is credited with empowering woman by giving them sartorial options which were earlier exclusive to men.

4. In 1971 Saint Laurent appeared in an advertisement for a men’s cologne from his line. This ad shocked the fashion world as he had posed naked with his legs modestly crossed in the front. Another highly accomplished designer, Tom Ford, paid homage to this vintage ad during his tenure at YSL, by making a male model pose full frontal for the M7 Men’s Fragrance.

5. In 1983, Saint Laurent became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition. He passed away on June 1, 2008 of brain cancer. His partner, Pierre Bergé, in collaboration with Christie’s, organized a grand auction of 733 items that Saint Laurent and Bergé had been collecting since the 1950s. The auction comprised a large range of items ranging from Picasso paintings to Chinese zodiac sculptures. The proceeds of the auction were said to be used for the creation of a new AIDS research foundation.