Dubai designer fashions abaya for Madonna

  Surely the ultimate client for any fashion designer must be the Material Girl herself, Madonna. For Sara Al Madani, the Emirati
designer and co-founder of Rouge Couture in Dubai, that dream may soon be realised. Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane caught up with the talented 26-year-old who, much like the Queen of Pop, takes anything but a conventional approach to her work

Tell me about your latest celebrity muse-inspired line?

We like to keep our clients entertained and one thing we always do is a Celebrity Fever collection. Previous ones have been inspired by Lady Gaga and Alexander McQueen, and we chose Madonna this time because she’s an icon and she’ll be in the UAE. The collection consists of 15 pieces; abayas and two beautiful but crazy party dresses. They are conservative, but with a Madonna style, meaning they don’t show any skin yet are very avant-garde. One of the dresses is red and sequinned all over, the other is silver. The collection is priced between Dh1,000 and Dh3,500.

What about the abaya you have designed specifically for Madonna?

When celebrities come to town or artists have a concert, they have access to something called a celebrity room, where during their downtime they can see all the gifts people and sponsors have sent them. So, although it is not promised that Madonna will wear our abaya publicly, it has been promised to reach her.

The design looks like a cape, because when Madonna comes on stage, before she reveals her outfit, she always has a cape on. It also has huge shoulders inspired by the 1950s and 1960s and a lot of leather, metal and spikes to the shoulders. It’s made from the signature material we produce ourselves called Rouge Silk.

How was it made to measure?

I know exactly what size Madonna is because, as with all celebrities, every detail from their average hair and even nail length is available via their agent, company or on their website. And yes, Madonna is tiny.

Will you be going to the concert and, if so, what will you wear?

Yes, and in the store we sell something called a travelling abaya – a shorter abaya. Of course, I spiked it up for myself to fit the situation!

Have clients responded well to the non-traditional, edgy collection?

Oh, yes. We actually thought clients would need some time to get used to it and wouldn’t start ordering it right away because it’s very strong – of course, while still being conservative. But in fact, before putting out the whole collection, when we had just two pieces out in the boutique, the clients saw it and started ordering it.

So, I’m glad that people here are adapting to fashion very quickly  and accepting it. The women are very educated when it comes to fashion, unlike a couple of years ago when we used to educate the clients, now they educate us – which is a great challenge for us as designers.

Do you ever receive criticism for the designs you wear and, if so, how do you deal with that?

Sometimes yes, when I go out. Or in the store sometimes when new clients walk in I get looks from them. So, when I have the opportunity, I try to explain that what I’m wearing is still conservative and still black. Some accept it and some don’t, but I never get angry or react in a negative way because I’m a businesswoman who should always be setting an example. I wear my designs proudly and everyone has their own style.

Kristen Stewart’s Chic Cannes Fashion: Which Outfit Was Your Favorite?

 Holy. Kristen. Stewart.

Our hearts skipped a beat when we saw K.Stew strut down the red carpet in one of her sexiest looks yet while supporting her beau Robert Pattinson, whose movie Cosmopolis premiered in Cannes today. 

But as much as we love K.Stew getting her red-hot sex vixen on (no doubt Rob's not complaining!), there's no denying gal killed it this week in terms of Cannes fashion.

Now, we know all three looks were utterly fab, but we're turning to you, Krisbian fashion police, for the final verdict on our fave fashionista.

MORE: 2012 Cannes Film Festival

Let's start with the latest look:

Um, seriously? Did you ever think we'd see Kristen Stewart go so friggin' glam?! We absolutely die over this red crepe deep V-neck gown by Reem Acra. The lace cutouts highlight Kristen's curves, and the red lips and subtle updo complete the look par-fait.

This may be one of our fave K.Stew looks ever (and that's saying something, considering our obsession with her SWATH gown), but we just love how Kristen fully embraced her sexy side. It's so rare that the adorably awkward babe dons a dress that commands attention and kicks those signature Vans to the curb.

Kristen, you're looking like sex and we're loving it—just not sure how Rob stayed focused.

READ: Robert Pattinson's Cosmopolis Debuts at Cannes—How Did It Compare to Kristen Stewart's On the Road?

But just because Kristen decided to unleash her va-va voom vixen today doesn't mean don't we love her earlier looks any less.

The wild Balenciaga pants Kristen wore to the photocall for On the Road were the perfect mix of edgy and chic—it's no wonder she's the latest face of their upcoming fragrance. She paired the colorful trousers with a Rebecca Minkoff blazer and a simple white tank, proving you don't need a dress to stun in Cannes couture. And we're not the only ones who loved the casually cool ensemble—her outfit topped InStyle's look of the day.

READ: Kristen Stewart and On the Road Costars Talk Getting Naked: "You Just Go For It!"

And last but definitely not least is the Balenciaga dress Kristen donned for the red carpet premiere of On the Road. It's certainly a sweeter look than her side-boob-baring red number, but that thigh-high slit and K.Stew's mile-long legs could give Angelina Jolie a run for her money. Our only complaint? Her messy hair! A simple updo would have been much better to complement the forest green embroidery and ivory tones, but either way Kristen's an absolute knockout.

So, with that, we say hats off to Kristen Stewart Week (it's a national holiday, right?), and as we wait for another post-premiere Robsten make-out sesh, we invite you loyal Krisbians to sound off on her best look on the Cannes carpet.

PHL Fashion Week Day 2: Reinvention of waist belts

 Day two of Philippine Fashion week at the SMX Convention Center last Wednesday targeted the reinvention of waist belts from flashy buckles to strikingly simple ones that are flattering for any body type.

Philippine fashion is opening doors for the comeback of the fad-seasons-ago waist belts to soft and metallic hard belts either automatically stitched to your outfit or as an added accessory.

 From ready-to-wear to extravagant fashion, waist belts played its part well for this year’s Holiday 2012 collection.

According to onceuponabelt.com, the cinch belts, now known as waist belts, were first used by the east European and Russian armies during the latter part of the 19th century.

Also a few years back, the waist belt became a fashion “it” accessory as most women were seen wearing thick colorfully buckled waist belts or the flashy waist belts to parties, to school, to work, and to just simply everywhere.

Compared to the new belts unveiled last Wednesday, though, the flashy buckled waist belts of a few years back felt like ages ago.

Arnold Galang’s covered cobalt blue head-to-toe mix of prints pushed the ante up by having a metal waist belt to show the woman’s body.

Designer Ronaldo Arnaldo presented a collection of black and gray tones. The metallic belts are placed on the mid-waist and are sewn on the skirt. They looked effortless and elegant.

As for ready-to-wear, the SM Ladies’ collection stepped it up by creating belts that can be worn everywhere. From summer dresses, casual wear, corporate and to evening night outs, this commercial brand showed how belts should be worn this 2012.

Day two of the Philippine Fashion Week presented a fashion collection that made the flashy buckled belt history. –KG, GMA News

Not just a clothes horse

 Monaco's Charlotte Casiraghi has partnered with Gucci to show her love of riding, writes Elaine Schiolino.

When you think of the Grimaldi girls of Monaco, you think of Caroline and Stephanie, the young princesses whose preternatural beauty, jet-setting ways and tabloid-ready romances long made them paparazzi favourites.

So it comes as a shock to learn they are now middle aged, with Caroline actually older than their mother, Princess Grace, was when she died in a car accident at the age of 52.

Now the spotlight is falling on a third generation of Grimaldis, most notably Charlotte Casiraghi, the 25-year-old daughter of Caroline and her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi, a young Italian businessman who died in a speedboat accident when Charlotte was four.

To flee the relentless eye of the public and the press, Caroline whisked Casiraghi and her two siblings off to a sheltered life, first to a country house in southern France, then to Fontainebleau, near Paris, when Caroline remarried.

Over the years, Casiraghi showed up on the paparazzi radar screen episodically. Like the time a survey declared her one of the most eligible young women in the world - when she was only 16.

Now she is coming out in a different and very public way - by posing for the fashion cameras. Last autumn, French Vogue featured her on its cover, with a 24-page fashion shoot inside. She wore Cartier diamond earrings, suede Louboutin pumps and clothes by Dior, Chanel and Celine, among others.

This year, she made her debut as the new face of Gucci, in an ambitious advertising campaign that celebrates her passion for competitive showjumping.

Casiraghi ''not only embodies the beauty and grace of the equestrian, but is also a wonderful ambassador for the sport'', said the creative director of Gucci, Frida Giannini, when the campaign began.

Casiraghi's work seems linked to a desire to create her own identity and assert her independence from Monaco, a Mediterranean tax haven little more than half the size of New York's Central Park.

''She has an opportunity to step out into real life and say, 'Oh, I'm here!''' said Peter Lindbergh, who photographed Casiraghi for the Gucci campaign and has known her and her family for years. ''It was a big decision for her, to get out of the house and get involved with advertising.''

Just don't call her a model. ''Protagonist'' is the word Gucci uses to define Casiraghi's role in its campaign, titled Forever Now.

Casiraghi insists she is promoting only the Gucci spirit, not its products.

''I've always refused to associate myself with a brand,'' she told French Elle. The ad campaign ''pays homage to the Gucci spirit, to 90 years of the history of the house, to our common passion for horsemanship. I do not represent any product or any collection.''

Her life could have turned out differently. She could have stayed in Monaco as an accessory to the court of her uncle, Prince Albert II. Even though she is not a princess, she is fourth in line to the princely throne. (Her father was a commoner and titles in Monaco are not transmitted through the mother.)

''I'm not a princess,'' she told French Vogue. ''My mother is, not I. I am the niece of a head of state. And with this status, I have some representational duties, nothing very constraining or very exceptional.''

She appears only occasionally at official events in Monaco and when she does, she glows. With her full lips, sultry eyes and loose, long chestnut hair that whips across her face in the wind, she is so strikingly beautiful that even staid diplomats gush.

''She is a stunning, luminous person,'' said the French ambassador to Monaco, Hugues Moret. ''She glows from the inside and radiates beauty and soft warmth.''

Wearing a cornflower-blue strapless Chanel gown with diamond and platinum jewellery at Monaco's gala fund-raiser Bal de la Rose this year, she stole the spotlight from Princess Charlene, Albert's South African-born bride. And she played second fiddle only to the bride at their wedding last year, wearing a pink off-the-shoulder Chanel confection.

The Gucci ad campaign builds on a long and comfortable relationship the fashion house has with her family. Princess Grace (who, as Grace Kelly, modelled briefly in New York before becoming an Oscar-winning actress and a princess) was one of its most important clients. Gucci even made a scarf for her, called the Flora. Caroline also wears Gucci from time to time.

As for Casiraghi, the Gucci creative director Giannini has designed an equestrian wardrobe for her for the past three years. The company has also sponsored her equestrian activities, although the amount of support has not been made public.

According to the French celebrity journalist who has covered the principality and its first family for years, Stephane Bern, Casiraghi offered to take part in the campaign because she needed money to support her horses.

''She has absolutely no interest in being a model, she's much too intelligent for that,'' Bern said. ''But competing in horse competitions costs a lot of money. You have to transport your horses one day to Dubai, the next day to Spain, pay for their care, the trainer. Gucci helps by writing cheques with lots of zeros.''

Casiraghi's new partnership with the brand expands their relationship. She has already posed for Lindbergh, whose images focus on the red-and-green-striped Gucci webbing. She resisted dressing in all Gucci and she pushed to wear her own crimson vintage Gucci jacket.

She will pose for three other photographers in celebrating other symbols of Gucci's horse-loving spirit. (Next comes the Gucci bit for horses.)

''She's a marvellous, marvellous kid,'' Lindbergh said. ''In the pictures I took, she looks exactly the way I see her in normal life. People say she's not a princess. But the way I see it, Gucci has a princess now.''

There's a potential risk, however.

''Honestly, it's rare to see someone so smart in this milieu,'' Bern said. ''But there's a contradiction. She's so intelligent and this is such a frivolous world.''

Fashion strip falls into 'terminal decline'

 IT WAS once feted as the home of cutting-edge fashion and the place to shop in Melbourne, but Chapel Street traders say their beloved strip has fallen into a terminal decline and now only offers a ''third-rate'' shopping experience.

The Chapel Street Traders' Association, which represents more than 1500 businesses in the local area, is calling on Stonnington Council to spend $10 million on a beautification plan for the popular shopping strip, saying it is littered with pedestrian hazards such as broken pavements and has been neglected.

''We're not only losing shoppers to other areas but are seeing a steady decline in the number of businesses coming here,'' says president Jim Pothitos, who has owned The Greek Deli & Taverna on Chapel Street for 28 years.

''I believe our local residents deserve better … they come to this area looking for shopping and lifestyle and we're no longer giving them that.''

Mr Pothitos points to a council report released in April that found that 50 per cent of residents surveyed said the Prahran and Windsor sections of Chapel Street were unattractive or very unattractive.

Traders say the council should spend $10 million on a structure plan for the area, that would include footpath extensions, street furniture and public art.

Stonnington Council is only a month away from delivering its annual budget, and the Chapel Street traders have been lobbying hard, employing a public relations consultant to raise the profile of their gripe in the media.

In the past decade Melbourne's retail landscape has changed - Chadstone has increased its number of luxury, top-end brands, and the CBD and rapidly gentrifying inner-city areas such as Fitzroy and Collingwood have encouraged boutique-style shopping strips.

Teresa Liano, the director of Chapel Street fashion label TL Wood, said Chapel Street had always had a ''grungy'' feel, but agreed sections of it needed more regular cleaning and she would welcome more landscaping. ''It has never been this pristine street that's glamorous - it's not like High Street - but I would love to see more cleaning happen … there's always dog poo and lots of graffiti,'' Ms Liano said.

But despite this, Chapel Street had retained its pull for tourists and shoppers, as evidenced in the recent opening of a flagship store for international fashion brand Topshop, Ms Liano said.

A spokeswoman for Stonnington Council said a Chapel Street ''improvement plan'' was being drawn up by the council, with $320,000 in works to be carried out in the new financial year. The ''Chapel Vision'', a structure plan that sets out the long-term aims for the street, will also be revised in coming months.

StyleSaint Wants To Turn Virtual Fashion Tear Sheets Into Custom Apparel

As we covered earlier today, the fashion vertical in tech has exploded, with myriad unique companies clamoring to take a bite out of Amazon’s lunch, and a chunk out of the trillion dollar apparel industry. One of the most unique premises I’ve seen thus far is StyleSaint, a startup which at first glance seems like a Pinterest for fashion, but with a unique real-life twist.

To use StyleSaint in its current form, log in with Facebook or Twitter and create an account, once logged on, you can choose from over 55K “tear sheet” images from which to create your own Stylebook, once you’ve got more than ten tear sheets loaded, you can hit the “Create Stylebooks” link in the top right and StyleSaint will automatically import, then publish, the last ten sheets you’ve torn. Alternatively you can drag-and-drop the tears to create a custom stylebook. Click on “Create” to publish to the site.

In addition the resulting books are Facebookable, tweetable and embeddable, the embeddable stylebooks function as an overlay on embedded sites, preventing traffic re-direction. In addition to social sharing layer, users who want to drill deeper into the StyleSaint community can apply to be part of the StyleSaint Creative Collective, the group of passionate editors that scours the web looking for, linking to and tagging stunning, fashion-related images.

While the stylebook portion of the site is delightful as a content play, the most compelling thing about StyleSaint is that co-founders Brian Garrett and Allison Beal eventually want to use the collective data from the style booking activity to come up with its own line of clothing. “StyleSaint is the only company editorializing the phenomenon of image discovery and curation and combining it with a manufacturing, vertical eTailer ecommerce model,” Beal writes. “It will definitely be the hardest part of our site.”

Hoping to come up with a new, wholesale product (5-10 SKUs) every couple of weeks, Beal tells me that all pre-production on the clothing line will take place in LA, as the company has teamed up with the same manufacturing partner who is responsible for producing the Mary-Kate & Ashley line, The Row, STQ, James Perse and Vince. Beal views the site’s competition as Modcloth, NastyGal & ASOS once the the eCommerce components come into play. The company wants to unveil the offering around fashion week next fall.

StyleSaint is currently seed funded by Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, Crosscut Ventures and LA angel investors. Beal hopes to raise a Series A in the next couple months, to finance its commerce arm.

Sometimes we go to so much effort to improve our lives and conditions that we inadvertently cause quite the opposite effect.

The examples are limitless — from containers to exercise to enjoying a meal.

For example, a year ago, the theater program my daughters participate in asked each thespian to bring all of their theatrical supplies in a well-labeled box for practices and performances. We bought beautiful decorative plastic boxes with lids. This week my daughters informed me that their plastic boxes were completely broken and unusable and they needed new ones. Two thoughts came to mind. The first didn't require deep thinking but demonstrates the difference in my daughters' generation's thinking and my own — shoeboxes. Who ever heard of buying boxes before the 1990s? The second is more indicative of my grandmother's generation, but it deserves to make a comeback — baskets. My house is home to plenty of hard-core woven baskets — the things are practically indestructible. 

Why did we stop using baskets?

They're completely serviceable. They aren't expensive to make. They aren't bad for the environment. If you ask me, a strong basket is a much better way to carry a load than many alternatives. And, a good basket lasts for decades, centuries even.

Moving on.

This week, a young friend of mine reminded me of the exercise equivalent. He was discussing the new martial arts class he was taking.

"You know, there's a purpose to it," he said. "Yes, I'm getting great exercise — probably the best I've ever gotten, but I'm actually learning something useful too. I'm learning self-defense. For some reason, that makes it work better in my mind. I've never been good at going to a gym and pumping iron because I grew up on a farm. If you need to get some exercise on a farm, you just go out and work. It makes more sense to me that way."

Basically, he was stating one of the conundrums of the last century — we've created lives filled with such comfort and plenty that we're challenging our very existence with a lack of exercise.

Santa Cruz dress designer Jill Alexander invited to show fashions in NYC

SANTA CRUZ - Santa Cruz fashion designer Jill Alexander has been invited once again to New York for Full Figured Fashion Week. Her show date is June 15.
Gwen DeVoe, creator of Full Figured Fashion Week, considers Alexander one of the top plus-size designers in the country.
The Santa Cruz designer has rocketed to the top of the fashion world in short order. She opened her own business in 2009, specializing in high-quality clothing "for the curvy woman size 12 and above" and offering designs that are flattering and strikingly new.

Last year, Jill Alexander Designs was nominated for the 2011 Plus Size Ladies Retailer Award presented by 100PercentPeople website.
Devoe credits Alexander with not only understanding her customers, but also bringing much needed attention to a market neglected by much of the fashion industry. Top designers such as Donna Karan, Anne Klein, and Dana Buchman now offer plus sizes, seeking a share of what was a $17 billion market in 2011.
"We have seen a huge shift in the fashion industry over the last year when it comes to addressing the needs of curvy women," said Alexander, who is owner and chief designer at her company. "On runways, in stores and even in the pages of Vogue magazine, the plus-size woman is finally getting some fashion respect."
Her company is one of 10 independent design houses chosen to unveil its collection in New York. That will be her fall line, "Familiar Destinations."
The new line comprises classical familiar pieces in jewel tone colors with details such as large collars and cuffs.
"This latest line is really dedicated to women who juggle family, work and travel and yet want to be able to dress up their pieces for evening as well," said Alexander, citing her travels in the U.S. and abroad as her inspiration.

She said her line offers a variety of garments for customers so they can coordinate with favorites in their closets yet integrate new pieces season after season.
Some of her separates are priced at $100, with jumpsuits and dresses designed for special occasions going for $325 and $425.
Her clothing is available to purchase online at www.jillalexanderdesigns.com and in boutiques throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Webby Awards 2012 Fashion Winners: Anna Wintour, ASOS & More (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

 Follow:Video, 2012 Webby Award Winners, Webby Awards, Webby Awards 2012, Slideexpand, Webby Anna Wintour, Webby Asos, Webby Award Winners, Webby How Much Are Louis Vuitton Bags, Webby Fashion Award,  Style News

The votes are in for the 2012 Webby Awards and quite a few fashion Where To Buy Louis Vuitton Bags faves nabbed first place honors for both categories: the Webby Award, chosen by the International Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Webby "People’s Voice" Award, voted on by, well, the people.
Unsurprisingly, Anna Wintour came out swinging. The Vogue editor-in-chief will take the stage for the second time to accept the "People's Voice" award for New Louis Vuitton Bags 2011 fashion. In typical Webby tradition, Wintour summed up her acceptance speech in the ceremony's mandatory five words: "Sometimes geeks can be chic."

Classic.
We can't wait to hear what she has to say at this year's ceremony on May 21. Until then, check out who else in the fashion world will take home a 2012 Webby

Gucci's initial offering pitches personal touch

THE logo of a luxury brand used to be enough for Australians eager to impress but a new breed of shopper is

demanding their own initials on designer products.

To cater for serious spenders, Gucci has flown five artisans from its workshop in Florence to construct personalised

handbags and emboss wallets and clutches in its Sydney and Melbourne stores.

"When you have a luxury brand, you have different levels of consumer," said Melinda O'Rourke, managing director of

MO Luxury, a consultancy in luxury goods and services. "Brands are constantly looking at ways to make that special

consumer feel even more special."

The artisans are assembling four styles of bag, including the Gucci 1970 handbag from the spring-summer runway. The

Gucci 1970 bag is assembled in the store in 90 minutes and costs $2390. In Australia, the artisans are able to make

six to eight bags a day, with 80 per cent of the bags already sold to VIP customers.
"When brands become global with more points of distribution, some people don't want to be seen with the same bag as

someone else," Ms O'Rourke says.

Personalisation services are also offered by Hermes and Louis Vuitton and are a way for growing brands to focus on

their history of craftsmanship.

"The style of the products has certainly changed, and the materials are new and very innovative, but the way in

which they are made is exactly the same," said Frida Giannini, creative director of Gucci.

"That's what is so intriguing about the artisan corner -- it gives you an insider's look at that very special

process."

The artisans will be working from Gucci's Sydney store until tomorrow, at The Star casino store, Sydney, on May 22-

23 and at Melbourne's Chadstone store on May 29-31.