Jewel & Jewel

Arielle Kirk, 15
Far Rockaway, N.Y.

Arielle’s high school doesn’t require a uniform, but for the past year or so, the rising sophomore has sported one of her own creation: Starburst-colored polo shirts by Ralph Lauren and Le Tigre (she owns 11), a pair of snug jeans and one of 18 pairs of pristine Nikes (she scrubs them down with soap, water and a toothbrush after each wearing).

“It’s ridiculous,” groans mom Deloris Kirk, 45, gazing at the seemingly identical orange shoeboxes neatly stacked on the floor of her daughter’s tidy closet.

“It’s like a filing cabinet,” says McBratney of the display below the double-dutch medals hanging from the doorjamb. And when collared shirt after collared shirt emerges from within, Mom, an assistant preschool teacher, shakes her head: “I would love to see you out of that polo, Arielle.”

Source

Is your sweaty old tracksuit a fashion statement or just comfy clothing?

A new exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum explores how high fashion and sport have paired up over the last decade to become a potent clothing and retail force just in time for the Olympic Games in Beijing.

The curator of the V&A’s “Fashion V Sport” exhibition argues that the role of sportswear has increasingly come to be viewed as couture rather than just jogging or gym attire.

“More and more we are seeing fashion brands getting involved in sports like the Olympics or Wimbledon or the U.S. Open,” Ligaya Salazar told Reuters.

The compact display of the interaction between contemporary fashion and global sportswear brands is on at the museum in central London until January 4th, showcasing some 60 outfits, design drawings, photographs and films demonstrating sporty dress sense, design, advertising and collections.

Some fashion brands taking part in this demonstration of how sport crosses the divide from the frumpy to the fashionable may surprise visitors more used to seeing well-known fashion names on catwalk rather than on the sports pitch.

The show is broken up into sections entitled “Dare,” “Display,” “Play,” “Desire” and features designs by such well-known names as Prada, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Yohji Yamamoto alongside sportswear makers like Adidas, Reebok and Nike.

Source

Green clothing continues to rise in popularity, but still many shoppers are held back by a lack of variety in designs coupled with high prices. Fashion & Earth, a green clothing retailer, is about to change that with the launch of its new website www.FashionandEarth.com. The company is determined to make eco-friendly fashions accessible to everyone who has ever wanted to buy organic clothing but hasn’t been able to find suitable options.

Set to open for clothing sales in September this year, FashionandEarth.com will be a one-stop-shop bringing together a variety of popular brands under one roof selling eco-friendly fashions and green clothing at affordable prices.

“Finding green clothing that’s’ stylish, affordable and lasts well can be a challenge,” says Adrian Desbarats, president of Fashion & Earth. “We aim to make it easier for everybody to access high-quality eco-friendly fashions that look and feel great and offer a truly sustainable solution to the environmental problems of the traditional garment industry.

Source

Acid-tongued fashion critic Mr. Blackwell has been hospitalized with a serious illness, his business partner said.
Blackwell, 85, has been in the hospital and unconscious since Tuesday, his partner, Robert Spencer, said from his home in Los Angeles.

Spencer wouldn’t say what hospital was treating Blackwell or explain the nature of Blackwell’s illness.

Source

Gucci took its cruise 2009 collection to the top of Rome’s highest hill, the Gianicolo, on Tuesday night, where under umbrella pines and before an audience of Hollywood, politico honchos and coolly haughty Italian aristos designer Frida Giannini staged probably her best show to date for the house. The elite event staged in the charming Villa Aurelia also celebrated the 70th anniversary, and major overhaul, of Gucci’s iconic Rome boutique on tony via Condotti. Iconic because the store’s opening connected Gucci with the Hollywood heavy hitters in town to shoot movies in Cinecitta, Italy’s great film studio, and to enjoy the Dolce Vita. Gucci gals for this coming resort season will hit the beach side terraces in mega wide, boyish flared pants, held up by thick rope belts, lots of Romanesque fantasy print tops and flirty open necked shirts, all topped by snug cricket blazers with Gucci logos.

Source

U.S.-based modeling agency Wilhelmina is planning an initial public stock offering (IPO) this year, according to a German daily.
Details will be made public within two weeks, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung quoted Wilhelmina Chairman Horst-Dieter Esch as saying in a story on its website.

Proceeds from the IPO would be used to acquire other agencies and expand abroad, the paper reported.

German-born Esch bought the agency in 1988 and still owns 50 percent of the company.
Source

Joe Corre was born to rail against the establishment and now has the store to power the movement.

The son of punk pioneers Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, Corre has launched a new menswear boutique in East London devoted to selling his “Terrorist” clothing line and a range of collected artifacts.

“I suppose I’ve always grown up around the idea of starting a shop in order to start a scene,” says Corre.

When Corre is asked how it is he thinks that people will want to wear garments bearing the label “Terrorist,” he rolls his eyes and fires back: “because it just sort of signifies that they’re awake.”

“It’s just a word that’s used to describe the enemy. You know, who they don’t want you to like today, but maybe those same people they wanted you to like yesterday,” Corre said.

The 40-year-old punk progeny says the fact that he was given his paternal grandmother’s surname has been an advantage as “both of my parents names are a lot to live up to” but if anything, he has built on the family tradition of combining fashion with attitude.

Source

Chinese officials have advised Beijing locals to dress well and mind their manners to ensure the city gives a good impression during the Olympic Games.

Regulations have been publicized by the Capital Spiritual Civilization Construction Commission in 36-page booklets and on the Internet, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Overweight residents have been warned not to wear horizontal stripes, while men are advised against wearing pajamas in public, the newspaper said.

“Clothes should not be too small, otherwise this makes people feel you are unreliable,” a rule states.

Source