Haurex Watches: "Haurex Watches are amogst the Top 10 most popular Italian fashion accessories today.
Manufactured by the leading company in the Italian luxury watches industry, Haurex watches can be found on the shelves of all important luxury stores all over the world.
What made these watches so successful is the fact that Haurex realized early on that watches are no longer simple ‘time indicators’ and that they evolved into interactive gadgets that can do a lot more, without going too far away from their main function.
The watch has become a “status symbol”, just like many other accessories – shoes, bags, belts, necklaces or jewels. It’s become a mean to project your identity and, why not, increase your confidence everyday situations."
Franco Moschino: "Franco Moschino is one of the most provocative and un-orthodox Italian fashion designers we’ve ever seen. His unusual view for fashion brought him loads of criticism from established fashion designers at the time, being called by the media as 'The Court Jester' or the 'Bad Boy' of fashion."
Born in Abbiategrasso, a small town in Lombardy, 14 miles from Milan, he frequented Accademia delle Belle Arti in order to become a painter. Doing various fashion sketches in order to fund his studies, he soon caught the eye of Giorgio Armani, who gave him a job in 1971 as a sketch artist for his new collections. He went on to draw his whole publicity campaigns.
Italian fashion house Versace on Tuesday revealed it is set to redesign the interior of one of New York's landmark buildings, the Madison Avenue Clock Tower.
The restyling of the tower's interior will include the creation of over 50 luxury residences, communal areas and a private health spa, while the first two floors will house an exclusive club designed personally by Donatella Versace.
The Clock Tower, also known as the Metropolitan Life Tower, was built in 1909 by architect Napoleon Le Brun, who took his inspiration from the famous bell tower, or 'campanile', in Venice's St Mark's Square.
It was the world's highest building until 1913, when it was outshot by the 57-floor Woolworth Building.
''The Clock Tower project is further confirmation of Versace's leadership in the luxury interior design market and represents Made in Italy excellence,'' said Versace CEO Giancarlo Di Risio.
The New York project will be carried out in partnership with Israeli luxury real estate experts the Afi Group.
Versace has increasingly made forays beyond the world of fashion in recent years.
Earlier this year it kitted out two private helicopters with interior fittings and has also worked on resorts, luxury jets and automobiles.
In May Versace announced it was building a 51-floor skyscraper in Panama City which will house 100 apartments, slated for completion in 2010.
Versace closed 2007 with a revenue of 310.6 mln euros ($484.3 mln), up 7.8% year-on-year.
Diesel, the Italian denim brand, has bought a majority stake in Viktor & Rolf, the Dutch fashion brand run by the eponymous artist and designer duo.
Only The Brave, the parent company owned and run by Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, has acquired a majority holding in the popular brand for an undisclosed amount.
Only The Brave plans to develop Viktor & Rolf, create new licensing agreements, open stores and build a luxury brand "for the future", Mr Rosso said.
"Ever since the beginning of their career, Viktor & Rolf have tickled my curiosity for their unbelievable out-of-the-box creativity. We studied each other for more than two years to get to this point," he said.
The deal shows that despite the credit crisis, merger and acquisition activity is continuing in the high-end fashion arena. Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, who founded the company in 1992, are famous for bridging the gap between fashion and art with their eye-catching designs.
They currently have an exhibition at London's Barbican Art Gallery. In 2006 they created a fashion range for H&M, the Swedish-based high street retailer.
Giorgio Armani has hired the financial head of rival Versace as acting chief operating officer of the Italian designer's business in America, where it has just launched an online store for its Emporio Armani line. Armani said in a statement Daniele Ballestrazzi, "one of the fashion industry's most experienced managers," worked for the Versace Group from 1992, latterly as chief financial officer.
Versace said Ballestrazzi would be replaced by Massimo Sala.
Ballestrazzi's appointment is "an indication of the importance that we attach to the North American market ... our number one market," a spokesman for Armani said.
Armani has steadily expanded its worldwide business beyond couture and pret-a-porter fashion to interior design, hotels, jewellery and other accessories.
Its latest venture, an online Emporio Armani store, opened a week ago for U.S. clients (www.emporioarmani.com).
Results so far are "very, very, favourable ... (although) a week is not a long time," the spokesman added.
Dolce & Gabbana Men's Velvet Jacket - Luxist
Velvet is back in style for fall and winter fashions, for men and women, and as the weather cools down a bit, it actually becomes more appropriate to wear the stuff.
The Dolce & Gabbana Men's Velvet Jacket is a good example of how the plush fabric can look hip and be incredibly versatile at the same time.
The well-cut jacket is could be appropriate for office wear and then transition to an evening out with just a simple change of shirt underneath.
Opt for a more conservative white shirt to make this office-worthy, but both button-downs and tees can work under the blazer in the evening.
Versace to join top designers at Malta International Fashion Show
Versace to join top designers at Malta International Fashion Show: "Versace, one of the most prominent international designer houses, will be present on our Islands with their haute couture collection at the Malta International Fashion Show organised by Renaissance Productions Ltd. Versace joins an extraordinary list of top designers who have confirmed their participation at the Malta International Fashion Show, Passion for Fashion, being held on the 15th July 2006 in Fort Manoel with Valletta as a breath-taking backdrop.
Gianni Versace, considered one of the most talented fashion designers of his time, was born in Reggio Calabria in 1946. At age 25 he was creating collections for the top fashion houses of the times. With the help of his brother Santo, he founded his own company in 1978. Gianni Versace SpA is now one of the leading international fashion design houses and a symbol of Italian luxury world-wide.
Gianni's bold creative genius consistently challenged the boundaries of the fashion industry. His distinctive cuts, vibrant prints and unconventional materials brilliantly united high art and contemporary culture and he quickly earned international praise and recognition.
Following Gianni Versace's premature death the company is now ably managed by his brother Santo, President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Gianni Versace S.p.A, based in Milan, and by Gianni's younger sister Donatella,"
The 'Devil' wears Blass and Fendi Costumer dressed Streep in '80s vintage for 'Devil'
The 'Devil' wears Blass and
Fendi Costumer dressed Streep in '80s vintage for 'Devil': "It's cold in February during Fashion Week in New York, but plenty of young editors in the first few rows show up in spring frocks, bare legs and peep-toe stilettos (a true fashionista is always six months ahead of the season).
So it rang true when Anne Hathaway, playing Andy Sachs, the young fashion magazine assistant in 'The Devil Wears Prada,' the film opening this Friday based on Lauren Weisberger's novel about working for an imperious, powerful fashion magazine editor, is in winter coats with bare legs.
Meryl Streep, on the other hand, who plays the haughty Miranda Priestly, the editor in chief of the fictitious Runway magazine (based on Vogue and its editor, Anna Wintour), is outfitted in solid-color knit jersey Donna Karan dresses from the late '80s, blouses and jackets by Michael Vollbracht for Bill Blass, bold Fendi furs, hoop earrings and oversize jewelry rather than today's more romantic, softly tailored clothing.
Except for her Christian Louboutin pumps, that doesn't compute -- no fashion magazine editor would wear a dress from 1987, no matter how classic -- but Patricia Field, the film's costume designer, who once outfitted the four 'Sex and the City' stars, said she didn't have the budget to have Streep's wardrobe custom made, and most"
Italian fashion group Armani plans major expansion in China
Italian fashion giant Armani plans a major
expansion in China with the opening of as many as 50 new retail outlets and investments in other projects, Italian News Agency ANSA reported on Thursday.
Details of the plan were unveiled by Giorgio Armani and his group's commercial director John Hooks and chief financial officer Paolo Fontanelli.
Armani already has 35 of its own stores in 12 Chinese cities and expects to have 40 by the end of the year. It also has 28 sale points in large department stores, according to Armani group's managers.
The Italian group is currently the sixth largest international fashion company operating in China after Hugo Boss, with 67 stores; Ermenegildo Zenga, 60 stores; Ralph Lauren, 49 stores; Burberry; and Ferragamo.
The new retail outlets will focus on marketing Emporio Armani and Armani Collezioni lines and will be set up as joint ventures with Chinese business partners.
"We will choose these partners by geographic area in order to rationalize our joint ventures to have no more than seven or eight partners," Fontanelli explained.
