Fashion is On

Harry Potter actress Emma Watson recently appeared in photos modeling the latest clothing line from People Tree, which focuses on applying Fair Trade for all of their products.

The photos are probably the last ones taken of Watson before her very unexpected haircut, in which she trimmed off her long locks after years of having to maintain the same hairstyle for her role as Hermione Granger.

The campaign comes on the heels of a recent announcement that Watson’s new 2011 Spring/Summer collection with People Tree will launch next month at “A garden Party to Make a Difference”, which is an eco-festival being arranged by the Princes’ Charities. Watson’s collection – her third since teaming up with People Tree – will be showcased in a fashion show on September 11.

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For fans of heritage brand Jaeger, the wait is finally over, as this Saturday sees the opening of the Boutique by Jaeger pop-up store.

Located off Carnaby Street, the shopping heart of London’s West End, this exciting newdiffusion line is aimed at younger fashionistas.

And with the same quality and detail as its mainline older sister, it’s the perfect range for stylish ladies on a budget.

With 60s styling and a rock ‘n’ roll vibe, it has all the must-have items we are craving this winter – coquettish minis, leather shorts, sequinned jumpers – the list is endless!

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First lady favourite Jason Wu is expanding his designer repertoire to accessories. Following his eyewear launch in March this year, Wu is to create a leather goods line.

“[My eyewear collection] is only the beginning of my accessories range, stay tuned for later this year – there is more to come,” he said. “Now that I have an established ready-to-wear business it seems to be the natural step to expand into the world of Jason Wu. There is so much more I would like to do to complete the vision.”

The designer, who’s pieces have been worn on Michelle Obama, was in Paris last week showcasing his resort collection before heading to Florence to research his new range.

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The German luxury fashion house Escada has been sold to Megha Mittal (daughter-in-law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal) for an undisclosed price, the company said on Thursday.

“Today the insolvency administrator of ESCADA AG signed a sale and transfer agreement with one of the Mittal Family Trusts,” the company said in a statement late on Thursday after the preliminary creditors’ committee approved the deal.

The statement also said: “The board of management and the new investor have agreed to cooperate on the basis of the business strategy launched in mid-2008 securing continuity of the operative business.”

All assets, shares and subsidiaries of the Escada business will be transferred to Mittal, excluding those that serve as guarantor for the Escada bond.

Escada, once one of the world’s top fashion brands, filed for insolvency in August after years of diminishing sales.

Italian fashion house Versace is cutting about a quarter of its global workforce and expects to post a loss this year as it takes a hit from slumping demand for luxury goods and designer items in the financial crisis.

The celebrity-favorite fashion brand, whose gowns are worn byHollywood actresses such as Angelina Jolie, is taking measures aimed at returning the group to profitability in 2011, it said in an emailed statement.

A source close to the company said Versace had a pretax loss of 400,000 euros ($593,400) last year and this would widen to 30 million this year.

Versace, which has a total workforce of 1,360, said it would cut about 350 jobs worldwide in a reorganization plan which will see it rationalize production facilities, review its store network, reduce capital investment next year and cut overheads.

All measures will be implemented by the middle of next year.

“Trading conditions in the wake of the global financial crisis have been severe and the company expects to make a loss in 2009,” Chief Executive Gian Giacomo Ferraris said in the statement.

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White Ribbon Alliance charity is to benefit from Louis Vuitton bag sales.

The designer, Marc Jacobs, creative director of  Louis Vuitton, and the British supermodel, Naomi Campbell, are to collaborate in a new project to support one of the Prime Minister’s wife, Sarah Brown’s favourite charities, The White Ribbon Alliance.

Louis Vuitton will donate a portion of sales from a bag from the new spring/summer 2010 collection, designed by Jacobs, to the charity.

Ms Campbell, who is a Global Ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance, made a special visit to the Louis Vuitton headquarters in Paris, recently, to choose the bag.

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Companies should be able to buy their rivals’ brand names on Google allowing them to “piggyback” on searches for other products, according to a preliminary court decision.

Fashion label Louis Vuitton had challenged the search engine for showing internet users results from other sources when they looked up its name.

A French court ruled in its favour, but the case was passed to the European Court of Justice.

In an interim legal “opinion” in the EU’s highest court, an Advocate-General indicated that Google had not infringed trademark rights by allowing advertisers to buy keywords corresponding to registered trademarks.

Under current Google policy, users are shown the name of advertisers who have purchased keywords relating to their search on the right-hand side of the screen under the heading “sponsored links”.

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IT is a good day for British brands as, on the same day Aquascutum is returned to British ownership, Burberry is set to join the FTSE 100 index of leading shares.

The label, which is set to return to London Fashion Week next week for the 25th anniversary, was first listed on the stock exchange four years ago as part of the break-up of parent company GUS.

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New York’s Fashion Week kicks off with a very simple message for style-conscious consumers — spend, spend, spend.

Designers are hoping to inspire consumer confidence as they reevaluate how the industry operates during the worst U.S. recession in some 70 years, which has seen sales at American retailers fall every month for the past year.

The semi-annual Fashion Week in New York — followed by fashion weeks in London, Milan and Paris — is aimed at retailers and media to look at upcoming fashion but consumers have to wait six months for the new styles.

“Fashion Week has confused consumers,” said Diane von Furstenberg, designer and head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. “They see things in the newspaper, then go to the store and see completely different things.”

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You cannot fault Riccardo Tisci for consistency. Eleven days after staging a North African inspired menswear show, the couturier re-visited the region again in a stellar Givenchy haute couture show in Paris.

But where his men’s collection was Marrakech dude meets Parisian dandy, his couture crossroads was more Catherine de Medici visits the Atlas Mountains.

This was an air of modern day princess about most of the looks in this show, a mere 22 outfits, each of given Berber or Moorish female names.

From a wonderful opening corset-coat worn with tight pants to the final warrior princess bride, there was not one sour note in this fall 2009 collection, the latest affirmation of Tisci’s talent.

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