Soletron targets $60 billion streetwear market

2011-12-22T18:00:17Z

(Reuters) - Soletron, a start-up backed by former Adobe Systems Chief Executive Bruce Chizen, is building an online marketplace for streetwear and sneakers, a market that is worth almost $60 billion by one estimate.

Soletron, run by Shane Robinson and

MF Global trustee completes third customer transfer

2011-12-22T14:00:26Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The trustee liquidating failed brokerage MF Global said on Thursday he has completed a third transfer of some $1.7 billion in customer property as he works to return about 72 percent of frozen client funds.

The total amount of the third tranche is $2.1 billion and the remaining $400 million will be transferred in the next couple of weeks, said Kent Jarrell, ...

Giambattista Valli joins haute couture club

2011-12-19T15:30:37Z

Italian designer Giambattista Valli is to join the exclusive club of haute couture fashion, showing a spring-summer collection in Paris next month, organisers said Monday.

A Paris commission including existing haute couture labels has awarded the 45-year-old designer the coveted appellation, France's...

Elizabeth Taylor auction raises over $153 million

2011-12-16T20:30:38Z

A week-long auction in New York of the late Elizabeth Taylor's vast collection of luxury dresses, jewels and art works wound down Friday with total sales topping $153 million.

The final round of live sales at Christie's saw movie memorabilia snapped up at prices many times...

How used soap is used to save lives

2011-12-15T02:30:10Z

Resorts' donations serve the needy around the world

It's a scene that plays out thousands of times a day on the Strip: Tourists rip open hotel room soaps, pop open complimentary bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash, and use them once or twice. Then they leave, and the amenities sit half-full on a bathroom counter.

Not so long ago, those soaps and shampoos were thrown away. Now, they're being recycled to help save lives.

A number of Strip resor...

Azzedine Alaia couture on rare display in show

2011-12-14T06:30:34Z

Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaia, whose army of devotees have spared him the need for runway shows, put a decade of his creations on display in a rare show in the Netherlands this week.

A coy man who shot to fame in the 1980s with his clingy, glamourous creations adored by fashionistas and celebrities from all walks -- incl...

Elizabeth Taylor pearl sells for $11.84 million

2011-12-14T03:30:09Z

A huge pearl once worn by European royalty and last owned by Hollywood siren Elizabeth Taylor sold for a record $11.84 million at a blockbuster auction in New York on Tuesday.

"La Peregrina," depicted in art works over the centuries and coveted by kings and queens, was bought for Taylor by her actor husband Ric...

Heir-apparent's hair's apparent in North Korea capital

2011-12-13T20:30:16Z

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean heir-apparent Kim Jong-un's slicked-back, high-sided haircut is a fashion hit in Pyongyang where young men are apparently queuing up for a similar cut.

Kim, believed to be in his late 20s and...

Dior in talks with Simons to replace Galliano: report

2011-12-13T10:30:28Z

PARIS (Reuters) - Dior, the French fashion house part of the LVMH group, is in talks with Belgian designer Raf Simons to become the brand's chief designer, Li Xingyi struts through a shopping centre in southwest China clutching a Louis Vuitton bag and wearing a red fur coat.

The 25-year-old entrepreneur is one of a growing number of Chinese living outside the booming metropolises of Karl Lagerfeld on Tuesday came to the defence of luxury in a time of economic crisis, criticising ratings agencies and rejecting a climate of "general gloominess".

Lagerfeld, head designer at Chanel for nearly 30 years, made his comments on the sidelines of a Chanel show at the Grand Palai...

Francois Lesage, master embroiderer, dies aged 82

2011-12-01T14:30:46Z

Francois Lesage, a master embroiderer who for decades crafted exquisite pieces for haute couture giants from Chanel to Yves Saint Laurent, has died aged 82, his workshop said on Thursday.

The doyen of French embroidery, a central figure in the fashion world, died in a hospital near his home in Versailles ...

Recycle this: Bolivian turns waste into high fashion

2011-11-27T08:30:15Z

Crafted from old newspapers, plastic bags, discarded CDs and soda bottle caps, Bolivian designer Marion Macedo's quirky fashion creations have added an eclectic dimension to the catwalks of Europe, South America and Asia.

Each dress is a unique, eco-friendly work that takes about a we...

Stella McCartney to return to London Fashion Week

2011-11-24T17:30:28Z

British designer Stella McCartney will show a one-off range as she returns to London Fashion Week next year although she will continue to show her main range in Paris, it was revealed Thursday.

The designer, who counts Hollywood stars such as Gwy...

Parents "losing traditional values": top UK teacher

2011-11-21T07:00:08Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Parents who allow their children to dress in provocative clothing, wear make-up and high heels have lost their sense of traditional values, according to a leading British school headmistress.

"Some parents have been so deprived in their own lives of education and values, that they no longer know right from wrong," said Helen Wright, headmistress of St Mary's C...

US designer Jacobs hit by theft of collection

2011-11-17T18:30:48Z

US fashion designer Marc Jacobs has been forced to cancel his European press day following the theft of his entire spring-summer collection en-route from Paris to London.

"Our press day tomorrow (Friday) in the Marc Jacobs store is cancelled due to the theft of the spring/summer 2012 collections during its transfer from Paris," an e-mail sent from the fashion house to t...

Versace returns to Paris haute couture shows

2011-11-15T15:30:58Z

Italian fashion house Versace will rejoin the exclusive club of haute couture houses after an eight-year hiatus, showing a spring-summer collection in Paris in January, organisers said on Tuesday.

"The Versace fashion house will be listed in the January 2012 schedule of Haute Couture collections," the French couture federation, which organises the three days of shows from January 23 to 26, said in a statement.

Haute couture exists onl...

Struggling Ohio barber tells customers to pay what they can

2011-11-15T09:30:15Z

CLEVELAND (Reuters) After more than 20 years of renting chairs from other barbers, Gregory Burnett finally opened his own shop, but the down economy has been hard on the haircut business.

"It is one of the first things that people cut back on," said Burnett, owner of Old School Barber Shop in CLEVELAND (Reuters) After more than 20 years of renting chairs from other barbers, Gregory Burnett finally opened his own shop, but the down economy has been hard on the haircut business.

"It is one of the first things that people cut back on," said Burnett, owner of Old School Barber Shop in Actors Amber Heard and Zachary Quinto and CNN anchor Don Lemon were among the celebrities that came out gay in 2011

Actors Amber Heard and Zachary Quinto and CNN anchor Don Lemon were among the celebrities that came out gay in 2011.<...

James Bond watch with bullet deflector up for auction

2011-11-11T16:30:16Z

A James Bond Rolex watch complete with a buzz saw and a hyper-intensified magnetic field to deflect bullets will come up for auction in Geneva on Monday, said Christie's.

"The watch is unique. It is the watch that

Vogue labels Olsen twins best dressed sisters

2011-11-11T09:00:25Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - They have always been in vogue, but twin actresses and clothing designers Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are now truly in Vogue, gracing the cover of the fashion magazine's newest best dressed issue.

The widely-read edition, which was unveiled on Thursday and hits newsstands on November 15, put...

Vogue labels Olsens twins best dressed sisters

2011-11-09T21:30:10Z

The widely-read edition, which was unveiled on Thursday and hits newsstands on November 15, put...

Stockhouse Movers & Shakers: Juniors hampered by assay bottleneck

2011-11-08T19:30:12Z

“It’s been a really bad year for assay lab turnaround and this has held a lot of people up,’’ said Eric Coffin, co-editor of the Hard Rock Analyst newsletter.

Assay results are the life blood of the mineral exploration sector, as vital as gasoline to a racing car. So what do you do when it takes up to six months for the local assay laboratory to process your drill core samples?

In...

PPR buy's Italy's Brioni menswear brand

2011-11-08T13:30:32Z

French luxury products giant PPR said on Tuesday it was acquiring Italian high-end menswear brand Brioni, in line with the restructuring of its business.

PPR has "signed an accord with Brioni shareholders to acquire 100 percent of the capital," it said in a statement, without giving a figure for the deal which should be completed in the first quarter of 2012.

PPR head Francois-Henri Pinault

Currie Cup champs shave captain's beard

2011-11-07T10:00:48Z

A South African rugby player known for the bushy beard he grew as a sign of love for his long-distance girlfriend lost the famous facial hair when teammates snuck up on him and shaved it off.

Golden Lions captain Joshua Strauss, nicknamed "Caveman" by fans, started growing the beard last year when he moved to CARSON CITY - Maybe we inherited it from the state's early mining camps. Maybe it's the legacy of Mark Twain's famous mustache. Whatever the origin, Nevada is serious about facial hair.

It can be seen in its mascots - UNLV

Traditional, ancient accents at China Fashion Week

2011-10-26T22:00:12Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - Haute couture mixing traditional Chinese touches and styles from more than 1,000 years ago with Western designs opened China Fashion Week, as the world's fastest-growing market for luxury products catches the eyes ...

Fashion legend Lagerfeld relaunches brand with two lines

2011-10-24T17:30:34Z

Fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld is to relaunch his own brand after a year-long break, unveiling two new lines and a direct sales website.

Lagerfeld, head designer at Chanel for nearly 30 years, will launch two lines of menswear, womenswear and accessories.

"Karl" will launch on January 25 featuring about 100 items priced between 60 and 300 euros ($85-400) to buy through the Internet.

Meanwhile, "Karl...

Karl Lagerfeld takes to Web to launch own brand "Karl"

2011-10-24T10:30:15Z

PARIS (Reuters) - Karl Lagerfeld, the creative force behind Chanel for nearly 30 years, is launching a fashion brand under his own name with backing from private equity firm Apax in a bid to tap into the Internet retail market.

The legendary designer in January will start selling online a 'rock chic' brand called Karl, ...

EU 'relatively close' to bank deal on Greece debt

2011-10-24T09:30:24Z

Negotiators from the European Union and banks are "relatively close" to a deal to write off around half of Greece's 350-billion-euro debt pile, an EU official said on Monday.

"We're relatively close to a deal," said EU economic affairs commissioner Olli Rehn's spokesman, Amadeu Altafaj.

While talks ...

Meet Jean-Claude Ellena, 'scent writer' for Hermes

2011-10-24T07:30:19Z

Jean-Claude Ellena is a perfumer who never wears perfume, whose tools are pen, paper and memory, and who sees his work as "nose" for the French luxury house Hermes as that of a "scent writer".

"In a perfect world, I wish perfumes were never worn at all," smiled the 64-year-old master perfumer as he welcomed AFP to the Hermes workshop, in the pine-clad hills above the bay of Antibes on the Mediterranean coast.

Ellena s...

Russian designers play it simple in uncertain economy

2011-10-22T06:30:06Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Simplicity will be the watchword for Russia's fashionistas next season, driven by designers' narrowing budgets and a lack of good fabric in the country.

At the launch of Russia's Fashion Week, which gathered together Moscow's wealthy elite, designers complained about the la...

South Africa fashion stitch in time for troubled textile

2011-10-21T08:30:25Z

(Reuters) - South Africa's slowly dying textile industry could receive a shot in the arm from a burgeoning fashion market in Africa's largest economy that is looking for home-grown fabric and stitching for its internationally known designers.

The 8th Africa Fashion week in Christian Louboutin has filed an appeal against a New York court's ruling that competitors can also use the brand's characteristic red soles, a lawyer for the firm said Thursday.

Attorney Harley Lewin said there are a "number of reasons" why the August ruling in favor of MOSCOW (Reuters) - Headbands emblazoned with Russian symbols, cheap accessories and military-style clothes sashayed through the Russian Silhouette fashion designer contest in Moscow this week.

The contest, first launched in 1997 by the Russian Silhouette charity fund, is aimed at supporting young Russian designers and took in 67 collections at the ...

Flea Market Fakes

2010-12-30T06:30:42Z

In this Dec. 9, 2010 photo, stacks of boxes full of fake name-brand clothing that police seized from a vendor, are seen at the Columbus Flea market in Columbus, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

...

School Board Shooting

2010-12-23T08:01:38Z

In this image taken from video released by WJHG-TV on Dec. 15, 2010, Ginger Littleton, right, sneaks up behind Clay Duke before hitting him with her purse, while he holds Bay City school board members hostage in Panama City, Fla. The purse that Littleton

People Paris Hilton

2010-12-21T12:31:52Z

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2010 file photo, Paris Hilton arrives to the 2010 Victoria's Secret Fashion show in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, file)

...

Fashion Resort

2010-12-21T10:32:00Z

This June 3, 2010 photo courtesy of Michael Kors shows the Michael Kors Resort 2011 collection modeled in New York. Nevermind that there are still post-holiday sales to be had, or that it just recently dipped to the freezing mark in some of the country's traditional snowbird spots, stores and their shoppers want newness _ and resort is how they get it. (AP Photo/Michael Kors, Dan and

Netherlands Weather

2010-12-17T03:31:01Z

A woman in a fur coat walks her white dog as snow covers bicycles on a bridge in Amsterdam's city center Friday Dec. 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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