The barely two seasons old Kolkata Fashion Week is already in the midst of a controversy with massive infighting between the directors of Mindscape Maestros, Ranadeb Paul and Yudhajit Dutta, who are the organizers of KFW.
Yudhajit Dutta has broken away and has already announced the dates for the next season as 24-27 February with 36 designers on board. Ranadeb Paul of Mindscape has not yet declared the dates of the event but has announced that their Kolkata Fashion Week will go on schedule. The founding director of Mindscape, Ranadeb Paul and the ambitious Abhijit Gupte had clashed previously over managing Dhoni’s business. Gupte made his mark as manager of IPL teams. The chances of a truce are slim this time.
Aza opens at prime Delhi address
Aza, the multi designer outlet owned by Dr Alka Nissar, opened its second flagship in Delhi. Spanning a huge 5,000sqft, the high-couture store is located at the very visible and accessible corner of South Extension, unlike the first one, which is tucked away inside the Crescent at the Qutub. Some of the designers whose collections are available at the store are Anamika Khanna, Manish Malhotra, Rohit Bal, Sabyasachi Mukherji, Varun Bahl, Anand Kabra, Kiran Uttam Ghosh and Rajesh Pratap Singh. The apparel lines cater to various segments such as luxury couture, diffusion, prêt and occasion-wear. The launch was a ‘wine n cheese’ affair accompanied with a fashion show.
A retrospective of Ritu Kumar’s creations and art installations
Designer Ritu Kumar’s huge contribution towards reviving and showcasing crafts and textile techniques in India since 1980 has finally been summed up in a most unique presentation at the designer’s store at Phoenix Mills. Ritu Kumar invited two young contemporary artists, Hanif Kureshi and Juhie Gupta, to develop their interpretation of her unique works, as installations. Kureshi’s installation was of the theme ‘The Old and the New’, while Gupta presented her ‘Weave’ to represent the works. The event was well received and saw a huge celebrity turnout.
Nachiket Barve wins the Young Entrepreneur Award 2010
The New Year has started with a bang for Nachiket Barve, who is the recipient of the International Young Fashion Entrepreneur award 2010, that is set up by the British Council in association with ELLE. Nachiket Barve owns his label and business, Nachiket Barve Design launched in 2007. One of the judges on the selection panel was Priya Kishore, the creative director of Bombay Electric and the winner of the same award last year.
Designers Parvesh and Jai design costumes for opera
The recently held ‘If I were King’ opera staged by the Neemrana Music Foundation as part of the ‘Bonjour India’ cultural initiative, enrolled the designer duo Parvesh and Jai to work along side the French costume designer Dominique Pichou. The job entailed designing garments for a cast of 200 actors for a play set in the sixteenth century Goa. The costumes were fantastic and perfectly befitting the fantasy tale of love and romance. High on color, bling and traces of kitch in a fun way, the output was a huge success in getting the right look. Speaking about it, Jai said, “Since our student days, we have had a flair for melodrama. Unfortunately, it’s not something one can do on a regular basis when one has to design collections. This opera gave us the opportunity to indulge our whims.”
Pune Fashion Week – one more and counting…
The latest fashion week to have emerged is one from the west – the Pune Fashion Week, organized by Satyajit Joglekar and Fazal Sayyad of N’igma Production House. The event that was launched on the 15th January had Vikram Phadnis as the Grand Finale designer with starlet Amrita Rao as the showstopper. Phadnis presented his bridal wear collection, which was suitably high on bling and colour. Names of some of the other participating designers are Salim Asgarally, Archana Kochhar, Shaina NC, Nishka Lulla, Nivedita Saboo, Moushmi Sanas, Vikrant and Jega, Leepakshi Ellawadi and Seema Singh.
Youngest designer ever at Pune fashion Week
One of the designers who presented her first fashion initiative at the first Pune Fashion Week was an eleven year old Prachi Badve, a sixth grader in the Abhinav Vidyalaya English Medium School. The precocious lady claims to have developed fashion designing as a full fledged hobby by age 3! Between juggling good grades and designing nearly 200 ‘gowns’, she has also completed a one year diploma course in Fashion Designing from Vindyachal Institute of Design. So do we have a prodigy on our hands? Time will tell.
A Pragmatic Paris Couture Week post recession - second hand haute lux
The Paris Couture Week is unfolding with some new surprises on the runways. The bleak seasons of the past year that saw such icons as Lacroix bite the dust, have mellowed sentiments to a great extent and added a dose of reality. The highlight of the first day was the young French designer Anne Valerie Hash, who presented a line of haute couture reworked from the designer outfits donated to her by friends and acquaintances by way of help. A Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz pyjamas here, a sailor shirt from Jean Paul Gaultier there – all chopped, reworked and embellished to create an Anne Valerie Hash Haute Couture statement. The designer has said that this was merely an experiment for a cause and promotion of her brand. The creations would not be sold. In the past six decades, the number of participating couture houses has plunged from 100 to 11. Never the less, big brands like Dior kept the flag of feel good luxury wear flying high.
Forget size zero – be fashionably voluptuous
It would be safe to say that fashion now is more hip- literally- more inches, a little flab, a few handles and more. The new fashion kingdom is seeing the emergence of curves as a fashion statement. It got rather depressing seeing those starved looking, bulimic models parading their bony frames on fashion runways. The photo shoot in the V magazine’s Shape issue, with chubby model Crystal Renn, has been reported and heralded all around. The apparel industry has acknowledged the new wave and a host of brands have emerged with the focus on larger women and not teen sizes. This will probably meet with howls of protest from the tummy-tuck industry.
France to open banks to help struggling designers and artisans
The French government recognizes that the fashion industry is an intrinsic part of the French cultural heritage and is setting up a special bank to assist fashion designers and artisan with provisions for services such as lending money to fashion companies and other creative businesses, with the state acting as a guarantor for certain loans. Christian Estrosi, industry minister said, “I want Paris to remain the world's capital of fashion, Today, we need people to share the risks.” Other path breaking measures being considered by the French Government are exemptions from the 35-hour week to staff who worked at odd hours before fashion shows and the opening of a school of design and creativity that would be on the lines of London's St Martin's School and Anvers in Belgium. Even big brands like Dior and Hermès will be considered for the Governments help.
Alice wears Sue Wong’s fashion creations in Wonderland
Disney has hired the LA based designer Sue Wong to design a line of high fashion dresses for their new movie, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, directed by Tim Burton. The line will be out on sale next month in high-end stores as a limited-edition collection for Spring 2010. The line will be Sue Wong’s interpretation with the looks influenced by the key story characters and locations. Such details as inspired by the film, like Victorian antique lace, will be amply showcased by the designer. The feminine and romantic Sue Wong for Walt Disney Signature collection of frilly dresses will be available at Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus.
Turquoise - the Pantone Color of the year for 2010
It was the warm mimosa last year, the color of sunshine for a grey and dull year. Reflecting a wiser and serene mood in this year will be the colour turquoise. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute explains the reasons, "In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color. It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many - taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy."
Istanbul defies popular perceptions being one of the largest cities in Turkey and with a large Islamic population. The city straddles the Bosphorus, connecting Europe and Asia and has a culture that elegantly blends its ancient heritages and haute European fashion sensibilities. Their very first organized fashion week, called ‘Istanbul Fashion Days’, was a roaring success and the dates for their next Istanbul Fashion Week have already been announced. Fashion expert Meher Castellino had travelled to Istanbul to cover the first event and we carry the coverage for our readers.
First haute steps on fashion runways -Istanbul Fashion Days ss2010
By Meher Castelino
When a country decides to join the fashion week bandwagon during global recession it requires a lot of optimism and a streak of daring. The Istanbul Fashion Days (IFD) which were held from August 26-29, 2009 for Spring/Summer 2010 was Turkey’s first attempt at joining the fashion extravaganza race. Open only to Turkish brands and designers as well as students, the IFD’s intention is to promote the fashion talents of the country globally. The designers at the event did not pay while the brands were charged for the shows and stalls. “The new era of fashion starts with this event showing the world that fashion from Turkey means highest creativity, excellent quality and fresh impulses,” said Mr. Hikmet Tanrıverdi, president of ITKIB.
Venue
The combined organizers were ITKIB, the Turkish Exporters Association for Textile and Ready-to-wear, the Fashion Designers Association (MTD) and the newly founded Istanbul Moda Academy (IMA) in 2007. The event was held in the heritage premises of the Istanbul Technical University’s Taskisla Campus. The venue was picturesque with long winding corridors, grassy quadrangle, huge pillars, arches and high ceilings all etched in stone. The 25 designers’ and brands’ open stalls were on either side of the building foyer seen by 22,500 trade visitors. The shows were held in two parallel corridors on the first floor which were reached by a flight of never ending stairs. Each show area had a ramp measuring 39 metres (app 126 ft) that ran through the enclosed corridors. Two rows on either side were for the 400 strong invitees. The first row was reserved for the media and buyers, while the second row had invitees and socialites while standees were in the third row. Dressed in the latest European styles that ranged from micro shorts to heart stopping minis, the ladies in the audience were as delightful to watch as the models on the ramp.
Punctual Always
The down side of the area was the unbearable heat during the shows since the scattered coolers were not enough to bring down the 39 degrees centigrade temperature in Istanbul. The other hiccup was a solitary narrow door for entry and exit. But there were some plus points too! Every single show started on the dot, in fact one started ten minutes early! Only one show started 15 minutes late and every show was 10-15 minutes long; during the 18 displays which were held for the three days. Indian fashion weeks organizers please take note, if a first timer can be punctual, a decade later there is no excuse for hours of delay.
Celebs were totally ignored by the media – a popular Turkish actor stood in the third row quietly watching the show. There was no red carpet tamasha, show stoppers on the ramp or preening socialites in the front row. The only time the photographers jumped up was when the Turkish Minister for Textiles, Zafer Caglayan attended one of the shows
Young Designers Contest
The IFD opened on August 26 with KOZA the 18th Young Fashion Designers Contest where 24 bright and emerging Turkish talents displayed one outfit and three winners were selected in the ready-to-wear category and two in the leather section. “This is our future and our tomorrow's capital,” said Mr. Hikmet Tanrıverdi, President of ITKIB when talking about the Young Fashion Designers contest. ITKIB has been promoting Turkish designers on the international ramps like the IGEDO in Dusseldorf and other fashion fairs for several years and top stars of the country’s design fraternity like Umit Unal, Hussain Chalayan, Hakan Yildirim, Bahar Korcan, Arzu Kaprol and Ozlem Suer have made quite a name for themselves globally.
Brands To the Fore
Great attention was given to the platform called BRANDist where 14 well known brands from Turkey like Mavi Jeans, Que, BNG showed their new collections for the coming season.
An Interesting Mix
ISTANBUL FASHION LAB was where designers Idil Tarzi, Mehtap Elaidi, Arzu Kaprol, Deniz Mercan, Bahar Korcan, Gamze Saracoglu, Hatice G ökce, Özlem Süer and Hakan Yildirim presented truly cosmopolitan collections along with the Karma group of young designers Simay Bülbül, Özgür Mansur, Özlem Kaya, Müge Ersin and Günseli Türkay.
The shows on the three days were a mix of men’s, women’s and swimwear brands and designers’ labels. Swimwear in particular was exciting from the Sunset label and designer Deniz Mercan. From monokinis to bikinis, tankinis and one piece swimsuits in the most amazing silhouettes were worn by lithe tanned perfect 10 bodies that drew loud applause from the audience. Most of the 100 Turkish and international models were tall statuesque beauties who were over 1.80 metres tall and looked amazing in everything they wore. The four men’s wear labels, Avva, Pierre Cardin Weekend, Ramsay and Hatice Gokce showed colourful, stylish but very practical Spring/Summer 2010 collections that had lean silhouettes and a mix of oriental touches like kurtas, Jodhpuris, jackets and tights.
Turkey’s women’s wear star designer Arzu Kaprol showed a feminine line of draped shorts, plisse smocks, Grecian shaded gowns, gold mirror mini sheath, layered scalloped dresses and pleated tops. Hakan Yildirim who could be termed as the Rohit Bal of Turkey, presented twice – once for the ready-to-wear Turkish Koton label and as the finale of IFD. In both shows he presented his characteristic highly structured intricately constructed mini dresses that were moulded to the body in glossy stretch satin.
Bahar Korcan another popular star of Turkey created a ready-to-wear line for the Jasobi label. White asymmetric cotton layered dresses, lots of geometric origami for tunics some angular net cotton gowns and will power minis with tulle layering were part of her collection which was in white and vibrant pink, orange, taupe and peach .
Ozlem Suer went retro with touches of the 30s, 40s and 50s for her romantic line of gowns, tunics and dresses some of which were teamed with churidar like leggings. Brands like BNG and Que showed smart casual and formal wear, while the Gizia label brought back the leopard print in varying colours for dresses and gowns.
Turkish designers are known for their strong knowledge of garment construction, detailing and fabric moulding is of a very high standard with origami inspirations being very popular. At times though, there were very strong French and Italian influences in the garments that reminded one of the collections of Gucci or Kenzo; but then Turkey is also the manufacturing base for many western labels and therefore the impact of the European designs is rather strong. Considering it was the first attempt of Turkey to present a combined fashion expo, there was a good buyer and media turnout from all over the world. When it came to placing orders many buyers felt that the timing of the event was a little late since most of the European fashion weeks had taken place and buyers had exhausted their budgets.
A Good First Attempt
Overall the IFD was a good first attempt which needs some fine tuning but with the type of Turkish precision and efficiency that was evident, the event could be a success in 2010 when it will be held in February at a different venue as the university will be operative and in August again at the first location. This time the show was managed by the Turkish companies though there were discussions of considering IMG the international fashion week organizers in future should budgets permit. Next year, Istanbul has been declared as the “Cultural Capital 2010” which will specially mark the combination ‘fashion and culture’ in this city where two continents meet – just by crossing a bridge!
Jasmine Fullman is the brain and heart behind the eco-conscious brand ‘Naturally Knotty. She uses recycled plastic coatings and factory scraps to design lovely bags that are sold all across the US. Although made from scrap and recycled materials, the products are high on quality, practicality and aesthetics.
Archives
The eco Visionary of the Month
January 10
: Zem Joaquin
December 09
: Carla Fernandez
November 09
: Anne Salvatore Epstein
September 09
: Maroussia Rebecq
August 09
: Chris Ambraisse
July 09
: Stacy Longo
June 09
: Bahar Shahpar
June 09
: Karen Ter Morshuizen
May 09
: Prof. Doug Miller
April 09
: Samant Chauhan
March 09
: Joe Ikareth
February 09
: Lakshmi Menon Bhatia
January 09
: Dilys Williams
December 08
: Dorothy Maxwell
November 08
: Saeed Awan
October 08
: Kusuma Rajaiah
September 08
: Karen Cole
August 08
: Katharina Hamnett
July 08
: Linda Loudermilk
Eco Alphabet
A for Artificial Food Coloring
A for Ailin - Brand
A for Amazon Life - Brand
A for Alpaca - Metrial
A for Agenda 21 - Document
A for Animal Free - Definition
B for Bamboo fiber - Material
B for Beyond Skin - Brand
B for Bad - Cotton
B for Bad in a personal care product
D for Dynamic Earth
F for Fair Trade Certified - Certification
G for Green Cotton - Criteria
H for Hemo - Criteria
I for Ingeo - Fabric
L for Lenpur
O for Oeko - Tex
S for Swapping - Concept
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity
We are already a month down in the year 2010, that has been declared by the UN as the International Year of Biodiversity. On 28 January 2010, the event is being formally launched in Leiden, Netherlands and will kick off a series of celebrations across the globe. The fashion event, EcoChic Geneva, was held at the Palais des Nations/United Nations Geneva Headquarters on 21st January, 2010. The event was a collaboration between Green2greener and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and was introduced by Dr.Christina Dean, founder of Green2greener. The fashion and exhibition showcased ready-to-wear and couture collections put together by sustainable designers.
India too will celebrate the year with a conference in Chennai from 15-17 February 2010, the theme for the event being, ‘Biodiversity in Relation to Food and Human Security in a Warming Planet’.
Hazardous Waste- Do Not Consume Orally - your skincare prod
That is true. Not even the most well informed amongst us pays much head to what is in that sunscreen or deep cleansing lotion, kohl liners, talcs, lipsticks etc. Sold on the strength of glamorous ads and big brand images, many a cosmetic companies are taking the consumer for a ride and not disclosing that poison in the packet. Some of the poisons that are found in the beauty products are Mercury, Lead Acetate, Formaldehyde, Toluene, Petroleum, Distillates, Ethylacrylate, Coal Tar, Dibutyl Phthalate, Potassium Dichromate, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, to name a few. Many of the chemicals are banned by law but yet sneak in under some guise. Sadly, many a big brands that tout ‘natural’ ingredients, have only token natural additives to con the consumer. As per data revealed on the web site www.natural-skincare-authority.com, the culprits are the drug/pharmaceutical/petrochemical cartels such as Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive and Proctor & Gamble. Even the global natural cosmetic brand Body Shop is on the list for deceiving the buyer. Awareness is the need of the hour.
The above data has been sourced from www.natural-skincare-authority.com.
Eco Alphabet
The names of designers, Fabric, Certification, documents, materials, brands, definitions and stores in eco fashion have found a spot in our eco alphabet column. We continue to inform our readers about that which deserves a place in this column.
Brand
E for evolve
Evolve is a cosmetic brand that was recently launched in the UK market, with the thought that ‘whatever goes on the skin should be good enough to eat’. But weren’t all cosmetics that? Shockingly, the answer is ‘NO’. Elsewhere on this page we carry the details of what they are. Brand evolve has been certified organic by Ecocert. The cosmetic does not have preservatives and has opted for AirFree systems packaging that guarantees protection against oxygen, before and after use. The bottles are also 85% recycled PE, that is the entire outer layer, since the inner layer often has remnant odors from previous cosmetic. There are other such eco friendly endeavors that evolve has adopted, that will make it stand out on the shelves.
Edible chocolate couture – chew your hat
These fashion styles may look gorgeous evening wear options but actually cater to the gastronomic flavors. The lovely chocolate dress and a stunning breast plate can not be packed away in the closet. Try the refrigerator instead. This amazing endeavor was undertaken by the chocolatiers of Salon du Chocolat in Shanghai in China.
Chanel’s tattoo–get the look sans pain
The trend of tattoos is going to have even the most chicken hearted and staid types giving in to it. That is because from March this year, Chanel is launching it's Les Trompe L'œil de Chanel, set of 55 individual tattoos. Thank God for the mercy, since the trend of body paints and tattoos was the look for spring/summer 2010, presented on the fashion runways by designers like Rodarte, Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel. Easier to pay £49 for the set than bear the needles.
The fashion kingdom has gone global and the sundry Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese etc fashion brands and names of different origins are foxing us as to how to pronounce them correctly. Newsvision has it all simplified for you.
Hervé Léger is a haute couture French fashion house that was founded by the designer currently known as Hervé L. Leroux, who had to adopt the name ‘Leroux’ since he lost the rights to use Hervé Léger as his name. The designer was the first to create the famous and popular ‘bandage’ dress or ‘body-conscious’ dress that would mold and shape the wearer's figure. In September 1998, Hervé Léger was acquired by the BCBG Max Azria Group from the Seagram's Group. This was the first-ever acquisition of a French couturier by an American designer. In February 2008, Max Azria presented the Hervé Léger by Max Azria collection at Bryant Park during the Fall 2008 New York Fashion Week.
Pierre Cardin (pee-air car-dain)
Pierre Cardin is an Italian-born French fashion designer, who is well known for his excellent avant garde style. His creations have tended to be experimental and impractical. However his ‘bubble dress’ that he founded in 1954 is seeing a revival. His unisex fashions and preference for geometric shapes have ignored the female form. He launched his label in 1950 and ventured into Haute Couture in 1953. In 1959 he was the first designer to take a designer brand to Japan. Subsequently he acquired the Maxim’s restaurant chain in 1981.
In the age of rapid mechanization and high tech advancements it is the artisan who holds the thread of a tradition of ancient skills. Cut away from the mainstream these artisan groups struggle to hold on to what they have inherited and many social groups have come forward to support them. Newsvision introduces its readers to various artisan groups and their crafts in this column.
Record breaking last ditch effort from the coir weavers of Kerala
The coir weavers from Alappuzha, Kerala have put their collective efforts to weave the world’s largest ever mat that is a contender for a place in the Guinness World Records. The giant doormat measuring 101meters x 1.2 meters x 32 mm, weighs 1000kgs and took nearly eight months. The Travancore Cocotuft Ltd (TCL) based in Alappuzha was the brain behind the project, which undertook this endeavor to draw the attention of the world at large to the plight of the 1.5 lakh weavers and 4 lakh spinners, of this centuries old tradition . The handicraft industry is hit by lack of modernization and rise in wages. Hopefully the giant doormat will open the doors of huge opportunities for the aggrieved community.
MCD’s handicraft initiative–200 kiosks for handicraft products at INA
In a rare sensitive mood, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has taken the initiative to support the underdog by initiating the setting up of several kiosks at INA market exclusively for selling handicraft products and food items. As per reports, these kiosks will serve as a model market and will be handed over to tehbazaris. Plans also include provision of water-less toilets and solar panels for lights. The initiative was taken keeping in mind the expected tourist rush during the upcoming Commonwealth Games and the location of Dilli Haat across the road. Already 31,000 license applications have been received for a mere 200 kiosks. If executed well, this could become a huge success.
Indian Fashion has made a mark, even if just so – the commercials seem to be lagging hopelessly behind, the integration with private industry even less so. The Government still looks at fashion with tinted glasses if not disdain. Compare this with France. In a report in this edition of Fashion Next, the French Government, recognizing that fashion is the intrinsic part of culture, has moved to support the industry. This includes setting up of a special bank to support the creative industry and alleviate some of the risk that this entails. Further, understanding that the industry does not work with normal labour timings, it has given leave from strict enforcement of labour laws. Contrast this with what we have done here in Delhi - designers have been driven out of low cost ‘lal-dora’ areas, key buildings have been sealed and even damaged, and fledgling enterprises left at the mercy of crass bureaucrats and business sharks. The Government has indeed done a lot…but limited it to the handicraft sector. It needs to extend this hand to fledgling new designers. After all, these designers act as catalysts to market Indian apparel, handicrafts and culture. We need to build a new wave of Indian creativity that can complement our dreams of becoming a superpower.
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"It was not easy at first. I was very bad at drawing - so bad that my teacher showed my poor drawings to everybody. I was very depressed, ashamed so I practiced and practiced... I had not had basic training, so it was difficult. After I finished my training I went back to Malaysia and worked in a factory. College will teach you the basic skills, the industry teaches you practical skills: How to work fast, cut corners, how to improve...."
– Jimmy Choo, the iconic shoe designer, speaking about his humble beginnings, as reported in Hindustan Times, September 08, 2009
The barely two seasons old Kolkata Fashion Week is already in the midst of a controversy with massive infighting between the directors of Mindscape Maestros, Ranadeb Paul and Yudhajit Dutta, who are the organizers of KFW.
Aza opens at prime Delhi address
The Paris Couture Week is unfolding with some new surprises on the runways. The bleak seasons of the past year that saw such icons as Lacroix bite the dust, have mellowed sentiments to a great extent and added a dose of reality. The highlight of the first day was the young French designer Anne Valerie Hash, who presented a line of haute couture reworked from the designer outfits donated to her by friends and acquaintances by way of help. A Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz pyjamas here, a sailor shirt from Jean Paul Gaultier there – all chopped, reworked and embellished to create an Anne Valerie Hash Haute Couture statement. The designer has said that this was merely an experiment for a cause and promotion of her brand. The creations would not be sold. In the past six decades, the number of participating couture houses has plunged from 100 to 11. Never the less, big brands like Dior kept the flag of feel good luxury wear flying high.
When a country decides to join the fashion week bandwagon during global recession it requires a lot of optimism and a streak of daring. The Istanbul Fashion Days (IFD) which were held from August 26-29, 2009 for Spring/Summer 2010 was Turkey’s first attempt at joining the fashion extravaganza race. Open only to Turkish brands and designers as well as students, the IFD’s intention is to promote the fashion talents of the country globally. The designers at the event did not pay while the brands were charged for the shows and stalls. “The new era of fashion starts with this event showing the world that fashion from Turkey means highest creativity, excellent quality and fresh impulses,” said Mr. Hikmet Tanrıverdi, president of ITKIB. 
The combined organizers were ITKIB, the Turkish Exporters Association for Textile and Ready-to-wear, the Fashion Designers Association (MTD) and the newly founded Istanbul Moda Academy (IMA) in 2007. The event was held in the heritage premises of the Istanbul Technical University’s Taskisla Campus. The venue was picturesque with long winding corridors, grassy quadrangle, huge pillars, arches and high ceilings all etched in stone. The 25 designers’ and brands’ open stalls were on either side of the building foyer seen by 22,500 trade visitors. The shows were held in two parallel corridors on the first floor which were reached by a flight of never ending stairs. Each show area had a ramp measuring 39 metres (app 126 ft) that ran through the enclosed corridors. Two rows on either side were for the 400 strong invitees. The first row was reserved for the media and buyers, while the second row had invitees and socialites while standees were in the third row. Dressed in the latest European styles that ranged from micro shorts to heart stopping minis, the ladies in the audience were as delightful to watch as the models on the ramp. 
Overall the IFD was a good first attempt which needs some fine tuning but with the type of Turkish precision and efficiency that was evident, the event could be a success in 2010 when it will be held in February at a different venue as the university will be operative and in August again at the first location. This time the show was managed by the Turkish companies though there were discussions of considering IMG the international fashion week organizers in future should budgets permit. Next year, Istanbul has been declared as the “Cultural Capital 2010” which will specially mark the combination ‘fashion and culture’ in this city where two continents meet – just by crossing a bridge!
We are already a month down in the year 2010, that has been declared by the UN as the International Year of Biodiversity. On 28 January 2010, the event is being formally launched in Leiden, Netherlands and will kick off a series of celebrations across the globe. The fashion event, EcoChic Geneva, was held at the Palais des Nations/United Nations Geneva Headquarters on 21st January, 2010. The event was a collaboration between Green2greener and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and was introduced by Dr.Christina Dean, founder of Green2greener. The fashion and exhibition showcased ready-to-wear and couture collections put together by sustainable designers. 
That is true. Not even the most well informed amongst us pays much head to what is in that sunscreen or deep cleansing lotion, kohl liners, talcs, lipsticks etc. Sold on the strength of glamorous ads and big brand images, many a cosmetic companies are taking the consumer for a ride and not disclosing that poison in the packet. Some of the poisons that are found in the beauty products are Mercury, Lead Acetate, Formaldehyde, Toluene, Petroleum, Distillates, Ethylacrylate, Coal Tar, Dibutyl Phthalate, Potassium Dichromate, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, to name a few. Many of the chemicals are banned by law but yet sneak in under some guise. Sadly, many a big brands that tout ‘natural’ ingredients, have only token natural additives to con the consumer. As per data revealed on the web site www.natural-skincare-authority.com, the culprits are the drug/pharmaceutical/petrochemical cartels such as Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive and Proctor & Gamble. Even the global natural cosmetic brand Body Shop is on the list for deceiving the buyer. Awareness is the need of the hour.
Evolve is a cosmetic brand that was recently launched in the UK market, with the thought that ‘whatever goes on the skin should be good enough to eat’. But weren’t all cosmetics that? Shockingly, the answer is ‘NO’. Elsewhere on this page we carry the details of what they are. Brand evolve has been certified organic by Ecocert. The cosmetic does not have preservatives and has opted for AirFree systems packaging that guarantees protection against oxygen, before and after use. The bottles are also 85% recycled PE, that is the entire outer layer, since the inner layer often has remnant odors from previous cosmetic. There are other such eco friendly endeavors that evolve has adopted, that will make it stand out on the shelves. 
Pierre Cardin is an Italian-born French fashion designer, who is well known for his excellent avant garde style. His creations have tended to be experimental and impractical. However his ‘bubble dress’ that he founded in 1954 is seeing a revival. His unisex fashions and preference for geometric shapes have ignored the female form. He launched his label in 1950 and ventured into Haute Couture in 1953. In 1959 he was the first designer to take a designer brand to Japan. Subsequently he acquired the Maxim’s restaurant chain in 1981. 
