True education
by VCLuxury on Jul.31, 2010, under Burberry
FOOTWEAR designer Michael Lewis has not only been recruited by Tom Ford to consult on his forthcoming womenswear collection but has just been snapped up by Harvey Nichols.
“Avril Oates came to our presentation in Paris and showed real enthusiasm when she saw the collection,” said Lewis. “It’s wonderful because buyers have so many individual designers and brands to see on their trips and crazy schedules, so to be seen and stocked by the best is a true compliment.”
Lewis began working with Tom Ford in April this year and in May signed up to design footwear for Versace. Why does he feel his designs have such a broad appeal?
“When Tom offered me the position I can only describe it as having arrived,” Lewis told us. “Why I was chosen, only Tom can answer that question but I would like to think it had something to do with having no ego and feeling comfortable with the vision of Tom’s brand.”
In May Lewis was awarded NEWGEN sponsorship and will exhibit his own collection at Somerset House this September as a part of London Fashion Week. He has previously worked for Burberry and Marc Jacobs but it is Jacobs who, he says, gave him the ultimate design education.
“Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs were to become my true education in designing footwear,” he said. “Marc hired me with very little experience and I was both terrified and ecstatic! Together with Marc we would have shoe fittings for sometimes up to six hours – non stop developing and evolving product from concept through to completion.”
Michael Lewis’ footwear is currently sold at Dover Street Market.
HOW TO HERMÈS
by VCLuxury on Jul.28, 2010, under Hermes Handbags
LUXURY French label Hermès is celebrating its iconic scarves by launching a fanzine, website and a series of events showing fans how to wear the brand’s signature piece.
Hot off the back of Burberry’s successful Art of the Trench project, Hermès has unveiled its J’aime mon carré (I love my scarf) campaign. The label has recruited British photographer Matt Irwin and stylist Francesca Burns to create the project which sees four women wearing their favourite scarves.
According to WWD, the brand will soon launch a standalone website – jaimemoncarre.com – which will offer instructions on how to wear and knot your Hermès scarf. The site will also feature information on special scarf related events.
Louis Vuitton and MASTER MARINO
by VCLuxury on Jul.21, 2010, under Handbags, Louis Vuitton Monogram Multicolore
PETER MARINO, the architect behind Louis Vuitton’s new flagship “Maison” store in London, wants to rejuvenate the way luxury stores are designed.
“I want to be the first person to animate bags – everything done for handbags bores me to tears,” said Marino. “I want to make it more playful.”
Marino has previously created stores for iconic names including Chanel, Fendi, Dior and Zegna. The architect describes how he was the first to bring natural light into department stores, stemming from his own claustrophobia.
“[In my stores] there are no dead rooms,” he said to the International Herald Tribune. “It is in on one way, back out of the other – it is my humanistic side.”
Yves Carcelle, chairman and ceo of Louis Vuitton relies heavily on Marino’s input explaining how the architect has been involved in three “grand projects” in the last 18 months.
“We have an internal structure of architecture and every two weeks meet to look at all projects,” said Carcelle. “The team meets with Peter for two to three hours, I come in towards the end and generally Bernard Arnault then comes to encourage pushing forward the concepts in terms of ideas.”
London’s Line-Up Giverchy
by VCLuxury on Jul.19, 2010, under Giverchy Handbags
THE London Fashion Week schedule is in: Micheal Van Der Ham, Mary Katrantzou, David Koma and Holly Fulton will make their catwalk debuts in September, while Swedish fashion house Acne will also show in London.
The mega stars are sticking around, too: Matthew Williamson, Antonio Berardi, Burberry Prosum and Jonathan Saunders will show for the third consecutive season.
And Giles Deacon is coming back, having shown in Paris for two seasons running.
“Giles is a quintessential London label and I am extremely happy to be showing in London after two successful seasons in Paris,” said Deacon.
Another newcomer to grace the event’s catwalk include Savile Row tailor and ex Givenchy creative director Ozwald Boateng who will show menswear.
Chanel Proceedings
by VCLuxury on Jul.14, 2010, under Chanel Handbags, Handbags
JUSTINE PICARDIE will bring a touch of Chanel to the proceedings of this year’s Port Eliot Festival. The author will launch her new book, Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life at its first Port Eliot Flower Show.
“I am delighted to be launching my new book about Coco Chanel on the Flower Show stage of the Port Eliot Festival. The language of flowers is part of Chanel’s legacy as a designer and creator of perfumes; the camellia a legendary element in her iconography, while rose and jasmine are essential to Chanel No.5,” says Picardie, who will share her Chanel findings.
The Port Eliot Festival will also include fashionable offerings from Barbara Hulanicki and Luella Bartley, who will be creating outfits for visitors to their new Fashion Tent, while Anna Sui will also present her new book.
The news from Louis Vuitton Web
by VCLuxury on Jul.09, 2010, under Handbags, Louis Vuitton Handbags
As if you need another reason to love Las Vegas, Macanudo®, America’s number-one-selling premium cigar brand is teaming up Playboy to offer the opportunity to win an all-expense paid, three-day, two night trip to the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and the chance to win $2 million.
Debo Mukherjee, vice president of marketing for General Cigar, parent company of Macanudo comments, “The Macanudo Millionaire contest generated tremendous buzz and excitement last year. It was only fitting that we decided to run it again, this time upping the ante to $2,000,000. A weekend in Las Vegas, complete with a VIP evening at the Playboy Club epitomizes the brand’s connection to socializing with friends. The $2,000,000 prize speaks for itself.”
Miu Miu Bag Soon Became Renowned
by VCLuxury on Jul.03, 2010, under Handbags, Miu Miu Handbags
Saul wanted to create a fashion miu miu handbags brand that had echoes of a traditional English country, gentry lifestyle yet also was cutting edge enough to attract fashion conscious women of the day. Coupled with exquisite leather workmanship the miu miu bag soon became renowned for style and quality of the miu miu bags .
However, Mulber
Another master piece from Piaget
by VCLuxury on Jul.02, 2010, under Piaget, Watches
Another master piece has been unveiled at the SIHH 2010 from Piaget! The stunning Piaget Polo Tourbillon Relatif chronograph is crafted in 18carat white gold watch and has be ornamented with grand feu enameling using the Champlevé technique. This one of its kind watch sports an 18carat white gold case and dial along with a black Grand Feu enameling which display an array of jazz music instruments like a Limelight Jazz Party drum kit at the crown, a drum kit and a trumpet at the 3 o’clock position, and a piano and a double bass at the 9 o’clock position. The watch features a circular Côtes de Genève, main plate and bridges circular-grained by hand, beveled and hand-drawn bridges and carriage, blued screws of 18carat white gold and a black Grand Feu enameled case-back depicting a jazzman. The movement of the watch is a Piaget 608P mechanical hand-wound tourbillon movement featuring 27 jewels, at 21,600 vph. The watch has a 68-hour power reserve. The tourbillon carriage which hangs from the minute hand spins on its own axis every minute. This carriage comes with three titanium bridges and has a weight of 0.2 grams. (Luxury Launches) Spectacular…….
IWC movements
by VCLuxury on Jul.01, 2010, under IWC, Watches
Some modern movements in watches of IWC are based on movements supplied by ETA and heavily modified by IWC. This is common practice by many high end watch marques. In particular, the Caliber 30110 is a modified ETA 2892A2, and the Caliber 79230/79320/79350 is a modified ETA/Valjoux 7750. Like all high end automatic watches, IWC watches lose or gain approximately 4 seconds a day.
Movements not based on ETA movements include the Caliber 5000 and the Caliber 8000, which use the Pellaton winding system, and the pocket watch movements used in the Portuguese F.A. Jones and other IWC pocket watches. IWC also used a JLC meca-quartz movement in their older Portofino chronographs
Since 1997, IWC has been offering a unique horological rarity for on-line auction annually organized at IWC’s website. The proceeds from the auction are donated to the Ecole des Sables – Antoine de Saint Exupéry school in Mali. The school provides education for the Tuareg children.
In 2007, the Company auctioned the platinum version of the Pilot’s Watch Automatic Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry, Reference 3201. The timepiece was created in tribute of the French author and aviation pioneer. The model was auctioned together with an original copy of Exupery’s debut novel, Courrier Sud (Southern Mail), featuring a handwritten dedication by the author. In 2009 IWC introduced the Big Pilot edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry in 1900 pieces. Only one of them will be in platinum and will be auctioned for charity.
Prada Handbags
by VCLuxury on Jun.30, 2010, under Handbags, Prada Handbags
Prada handbags epitomize style and luxury in the designer handbag industry. In existence for almost a century, The House of Prada is a world-wide pioneer in simple, elegant, high-fashion handbags and purses. In 1913 the Prada label was founded by Mario Prada. Prada began by selling shoes, leather handbags, and trunks, and in a short time received widespread recognition with success in Europe and the US, and later opened two boutiques in Milan.
The early, signature Prada suitcase was made from a heavy walrus skin, which was not well suited for air travel, so Prada began to concentrate on fine leather handbags and accessories, incorporating new materials such as crystal, tortoise shell, and wood. Waterproof garments were also sold in US markets. With all of Prada’s successes, the company nonetheless began to decline in the 1970s, but a new age in history of Prada was on the horizon.
Although is was well-made and practical, it was also high fashion and came with the high fashion price tag. This launched a whole industry of fashion replicas, which fueled the desire to own an authentic Prada handbag.
