FTBC

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaign.
The FTBC, first established by Ralph Lauren in 1994, has their new breast cancer campaign featuring Sienna Miller, Claudia Schiffer and Kylie Minogue, a recent sufferer of breast cancer.


In order to boost the campaign, fashion retail stores such as River Island, Coast, M&S and Superdry have created a collection of items that will donate 30% to the FTBC.
You can view the collection here.


As far as charities go, the FTBC is one I'm close to not only due to it using fashion to create their campaign, but because I'm a supporter of any charity that donates to improving the lives of those with cancer.

(From the About Us page on www.fashiontargetsbreastcancer.org)

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC) was established in 1994 by Ralph Lauren, after his friend Nina Hyde, Fashion Editor of the Washington Post, died of breast cancer.

In 1996, FTBC was launched in the UK by Breakthrough Breast Cancer. FTBC now celebrates its 14th year; our iconic t-shirt graces most women’s wardrobes and it’s been heralded as the most fashionable charity campaign in the UK.

The campaign is fortunate enough to have received support from some of the world’s most famous fashion icons. Photographers Mario Testino, David Bailey and Ellen Von Unwerth together with stars including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Gisele, Jerry Hall, Helena Christensen and Lily Cole have all very generously supported the campaign.

To date the campaign has raised over £10.5m in the UK alone through the sale of the famous target t-shirts and other merchandise, sold for us by our loyal and much-loved high street retailers. In the UK, M&S, River Island, Warehouse, Topshop, Coast, Laura Ashley, Superdry, My-wardrobe.com and Whistles all help FTBC raise vital funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and we are extremely grateful for their help and support.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer would like to thank all our fashion icons, high street partners and FTBC customers for their continued support over the last 14 years. We look forward to another hugely successful campaign for 2010.

Topshop Auction

Celebrity Bid
Here it comes, a chance to bid for celebrity clothing donated to high street chain Topshop. You may remember a few months ago the dresses were up for hire from the Oxford Street store, and now they're on auction in aid of Age Concern and Help the Aged.
Dresses in aid of a charity have always been known to sell for more (or so I'm told) than the original selling price, but the attendees of the auction will be interesting. Although the dresses have been worn by celebrities, will celebrities come and buy them? Perhaps in aid of charity, but I think the public will be the ones bidding for these golden dresses. Either way the intention for Topshop is the publicity, the intention of the bidders are the dresses, and the charity is just a bonus!

In other news, John Galliano has replaced Donatella Versace as the chairperson of Fashion Fringe Covent Garden, stating that he is looking for someone with their own handwriting that's a bit of a rebel. Like Donatella, Galliano will be holding the position for two years.

Asda 100 day guarantee

Buy it, wear it, take it back
Asda has taken an initiative to curb the 'Primark effect' of throwaway fashion by giving their clothes from George a 100 day quality guarantee.
Asda is confident enough in the quality of their clothing that they don't think the new plan will be taken advantage of, but they don't really mention the fashion side. Although fast trends aren't as quick as 100 days, what's stopping a woman buying a dress, wearing it, then taking it back? Although some would prefer it wasn't clothes from Asda, there are still some women who would do this. It's almost a rental service as well. If you've bought George clothing and you're a little strapped for cash, return that impulse buy from last month as it's a no quibble guarantee. It'll be interesting to see how successful this will be.

Louis Vuitton Autumn Winter 2010/11

Le Classique Vuitton

Bringing back a classical element of style, Louis Vuitton envisioned Grace Kelly travelling the big cities of Europe, beginning with Rome and ending in Paris. Beautifully placed around a fountain in the city of Paris, hemlines dropped, bows were put on shoes, handbags were hand-bags and hair was tied back into a simple pony tail. Now either the shoes were hard to walk in, or the only off putting thing about the show was the girls galloping and strutting like horses instead of gracefully dancing. I'm going to have to try and find myself a black velvet belt with gold buckle though.

"I'd rather embrace it than fight it" - Marc Jacobs on the digital takeover.
Marc Jacobs doesn't use twitter, facebook or any such sites personally, and when he talks about live streaming it seems as though it's not his idea. It's the same from last season really - it's a marketing ploy made by the company and Jacobs has seemed to have just said "I'm designing the clothes, I don't want it streamed, but I don't have a say, so do it so I can keep designing the clothes." I think Marc Jacob's own brand is going to be the only one that won't be live streaming his collection next season.

Ungaro Fall 2011

Lindsay falls farther from Ungaro

Lindsay Lohan has been confirmed to have not taken part whatsoever in the creation of the Ungaro Fall 2011 Womenswear collection that showcased in Paris fashion week, instead leaving the creations to Estrella Archs.
The brand's owner Asim Abdullah told Women's Wear Daily backstage: "She's not involved in this collection."

Emanuel Ungaro Autumn Winter 2010/11
Although there were harsh criticisms on Lohan's designs last season, the collection did sell well. However, as they've shown from this year, publicity is still publicity. Despite not attending the show and attending Dior's instead, there was still talk about the Ungaro label. It will be interesting to see how the sales compare to last year without the aid of the Mean Girl.

Diane Von Furstenberg for Claridges

The Hotel Fashionista
Claridges in London has just announced a collaboration with designer Diane Von Furstenburg to redesign the interior of some of the hotel's suites using her iconic block colours and prints.
"One of my fondest memories was when I was in London as a young, independent businesswoman and stayed at Claridge's. I knew I had made it. To me, Claridge's is the most glamourous hotel in the world; I regard it as my home away from home. I am honoured to become part of the hotel's legacy and rich design history."
Vogue.co.uk

Although fashion is given a lot of stick, it's amazing how the art of fashion can branch across other industries and can be incorporated into anything. When you consider fashion in this way, it's more about style and class rather than the fast paced clothing industry.

3D

Photograph by Miles Aldridge.

Milan Fashion Week

Milan Closing

I know I'm writing more about Dolce & Gabbana, but quite frankly other collections were simply boring. They all had the same plain wear just different colours. However Christopher Kane gets a mention for the Versus collection: thank God someone decided to add bright colour for Autumn Winter 2010/11 - I was dreading a dull Winter this year.




Anyway, back to Dolce & Gabbana -

First watch this video


Then watch this one


I've had a look around and it seems as though Dolce & Gabbana is the first to live stream their show from the iPhone. Not only is the fashion show becoming more accessible to everyone via the Internet, but now it's available while out and about. However, how convenient is it? I guess those with an iPhone can take up to an hour out of their working day for lunch/coffee and instead of chatting with anyone pull out their iPhone like a fashion obsessed hermit and watch the show, but seriously, if you've got the time to do that you've got the time to eat lunch infront of a large screen computer and watch it at dolceandgabbana.com, don't you? This just seems to me to be advancing for the sake of advancing. Stefano and Domenico want to be a step ahead, even if that step ahead isn't really useful to them. Don't get me wrong, if I had an iPhone I'd be watching it on that as well as on my laptop because I'm that much of a fashion hermit, but in terms of watching I'd prefer a larger screen.
This is how Burberry got it right, through going bigger, not smaller, by broadcasting their Winter 2011 show in 3D in cinemas around the world.

But anyway, back to the show. Although there were beautiful pieces throughout, what interested me was the parade of suits that came down the catwalk at the end. The film noir of the making of at the beginning hinted at the skill in tailoring that Dolce & Gabbana use to embody their Sicilian woman, but there is irony in their working.

When you see this parade of powerful women in subtly different jackets wearing either silk pants or lace shorts and simple court shoes, you think wow, that's who I want to be, part of the pack of beautiful, strong women. I mean, give them red lipstick and it's the Robert Palmer video. The irony, however, is that this parade of powerful, beautiful women are in fact wearing suit jackets - clothing originally designed for men. Is this how feminism comes about in the 21st century? Through wearing men's clothing and pulling it off better? I hope so.