THE RETAIL ALLEY

EVA MENDES FOR SECRET OBSESSION

2008-06-07T23:44:00.006+02:00

I just saw a print ad for Calvin Klein´s new fragrance Secret Obsession. The new ad campaign features Eva Mendes, my girl crush. In my opinion the picture looks good but it´s not sensational. It looks like any parfume ad, it doesn´t really stand out. I think they should have used Evas sensuality more. It was my favourite parfume in the ´90s and I will definitely try it when it comes to stores. Interesting to see if the parfume is as bland as the ad!

2008 CFDA FASHION AWARDS

2008-06-03T22:06:00.012+02:00

On 2nd of June the Council of Fashion Designers of America held their annual awards ceremony at the NY Public Library.

I love Victoria Beckham´s look at the fashion awards. Very fierce! She is wearing Marc Jacobs, of course. I like her hairstyle and the dress stunning.

Kim Cattrall looks amazing in Monique Lhuiller Fall 2008! She is very beautiful compared to the model and that says a lot. Very often clothes look better on models than on celebrities.

Eva Mendes looking elegant in a simple Calvin Klein gown. Amazing!

Georgina Chapman looks great in red Marchesa dress! The dress is from Marchesa´s Fall 2008 collection.

Hana Soukupova looks gorgeous in Badgley Mischka Fall 2008.

Ashley Olsen was in Calvin Klein resort 09. So simple and so elegant! Calvin Klein is good at that!

MTV MOVIE AWARDS

2008-06-02T23:23:00.007+02:00

Charlize Theron in a black piped Dior corset and super skinny black trousers.

Sarah Jessica Parker looking glamourous in a skin-tight turtle neck dress and in a pair of white Chistian Louboutin boots.

Liv Tyler in gorgeous pink strapless gown.

The usually classic Anne Hathaway in a edgier asymmetric little black dress.

KATE MOSS FOR AGENT PROVOCATEUR

2008-06-02T23:12:00.003+02:00

Several newspapers have reported that Kate Moss has been dropped as the face of Agent Provocateur. Now the spokeswomen for AP explains on Vogue.co.uk that the rumours are inaccurate. She also mentions that Kate has been signed for a one year contract as the face of the bridal collection, White Wedding. Agent Provocateur is one month into the campaign and it has proved the most successful campaign the company has ever done.

But there are developments afoot for the label's next mainline campaign, which is due to launch in September. The company recently shot a series of images that will feature a whole host of British and international beauties. Exciting!

CHARLOTTE´S CLOTHING LINE?

2008-06-02T22:55:00.004+02:00

Vogue is reporting that SATC´s Kristin Davis is launching her own clothing range for American retailer Belk. The line will launch at the end of August and at the beginning it includes sportswear, activewear, sleepwear, accessories and footwear. This is Belk´s first celebrity line and the prices will range from $30 to $240.

I am very sceptical about celebrity clothing lines. Most of them are just crap. I think that very few of them are OK, none of them is great. I think that people who buy these clothes are buying a piece of the celebrity. I understand that celebrities love fashion and clothes but I don´t understand what makes them think that they can do a better job of designing clothes that the professional designers who have studied this for years? Anyway, I like Kristin´s style, she dresses very well for her body type. She knows her body well, what to hide and what to show. Good luck! (You need it with sceptics like me.)

BLOOM´S SECOND COMING

2008-06-02T22:35:00.004+02:00

In 2002 Australian make-up brand Bloom disappeared without a trace. Now it is back and as pretty as ever! It is sold at Superdrug. The selection is wide: lipsticks, lip glosses, lip tints, eye paints, cheek tints, different foundations, huge selection of nail polishes, bath and body products and even skincare. The prices are pretty too, for example about £8,00 for a lip gloss and eye paints £10,00.

Personally I have never tried Bloom´s products but they look so girly and pretty that they cannot be bad. I will definitely try them soon!

OLSENS DESIGN JEWELLERY

2008-05-30T20:16:00.003+02:00

Not content with launching not one but two fashion lines, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are reportedly already fully immersed in their next design challenge: jewellery. The creative twosome have hooked up with Council of Fashion Designers of America award-winning jewellery designer Robert Lee Morris - of whom they are both fans - to create a collection of accessories to sit within their high-end Elizabeth and James offering.

The twins are said to have been heavily involved with the project, visiting Morris' Manhattan headquarters to trawl through his archives for inspiration. According to WWD, the resulting line of dagger necklaces, chunky rings and earrings - which is creatively entitled Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth and James - will launch within months.

Source: vogue.co.uk

MORE GREAT LOOKS FROM CANNES

2008-05-25T19:32:00.021+02:00

There is so much gorgeous fashion in Cannes. It´s very hard to choose the favourites, so I just bring out some of my favourites.

Milla Jovovich in Versace Atelier dress. Wonderful colour of the dress and great necklace!

Salma Hayek in fabulous green gown.

Natalie Portman´s blue dress is by Lanvin and the white one is by Givenchy Spring 2008 Couture. I absolutely love the Givenchy dress! So gorgeous and different.

Gorgeous Monica Bellucci.

Rose McGowan in Dolce and Gabbana. This dress has been on many magazine covers and editorials but I am still not tired of it!

Doutzen Kroes in Versace. I love this blue shade on her.

Georgina Chapman in Marchesa.

Kate Hudson shows off her fabulous legs in this mini dress.

Kerry Washington looks stunning is this purple dress.

2 supermodels - Doutzen Kroes & Noemie Lenoir. Amazing!

MISCHA BARTON´S HANDBAG LINE

2008-05-25T16:11:00.004+02:00

Mischa Barton has come out with her own line of handbags! This week she was in London to promote her line of handbags. The line will be available only in the UK starting July 2nd and it will be sold in John Lewis, Debenhams and Fenwicks. The collection has been kept a secret but a few pictures have surfaced on the Internet. The picture at right is taken at Australian Fashion Week and Mischa is carrying her own bag.

FRAGRANCE AWARDS

2008-05-23T23:47:00.004+02:00

Interesting news to all the parfume lovers! Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana were the big-name winners at this year's prestigious FiFi fragrance awards. Daisy by Marc Jacobs, his new scent with Coty Prestige, won Fragrance of the Year in the women's luxury category, while Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue Pour Homme - by P&G Prestige Products, Inc - won the respective men's category. Wang turned out in person to the 36th annual awards ceremony in New York on Tuesday to collect her Hall of Fame award from New York Ranger Sean Avery.

Also in attendance was a reflective Zac Posen, who will release his first women's fragrance in December and is already thinking about its men's counterpart. "I remember an Elsa Peretti bottle - I think she designed it for Halston, it was a really cool shape," he told Fashion Wire Daily, recalling his earliest scent memories. "Then I went through a stage of collecting great, really kitsch perfume bottles of Avon. But the first fragrance I purchased was probably Obsession. That's a young, undiscovered gay boy's idea of sexuality or sensuality."

Source: vogue.co.uk

My opinion on the subject...

I totally agree. I love Daisy by Marc Jacobs! It´s youthful, light and very easy to wear scent. It is not just the parfume that smells wonderful, even the bottle looks so cute and girly.

TO THE MARKET

2008-05-23T23:35:00.004+02:00

OK, this information is almost too good to be true. From this Sunday May 25 to Monday 26 opens Dover Street Market's Market at Phillips de Pury &Company, Howick Place, Victoria London SW1. It is opened only for two days, from 10am to 7 pm.

At the market you'll have the chance to rummage around its archives and bag yourself a fashionable treasure or two at a special price. On offer are pieces from Comme des Garcons, Pierre Hardy, Martin Margiela, Raf Simons, Dior Homme, John Galliano and Nina Ricci - and on top of all this there will be regular deliveries throughout the two days.

RED HOT EVA

2008-05-23T23:31:00.005+02:00

Calvin Klein has never been a brand to shy away from controversy, and it's at it again: this time, with some steamy adverts featuring Eva Mendes to promote its new fragrance, Secret Obsession. The television ads have been banned in their current format by censors in the US, but the label has vowed to fight the ruling.

"The Obsession brand resonates in a very provocative place," explains Catherine Walsh, senior vice president of American fragrances for Coty Prestige, the Calvin Klein Fragrances licensee. "And we wanted to do a provocative ad. But we're not trying to be raunchy. There's a lot of skin, but it's done tastefully. " So what's got the censors hot under the collar?

"It really taps into the secrecy of a private moment - where it's clear that Eva is having illicit thoughts," Lori Singer, vice president of global marketing for the brand at Coty Prestige, tells WWD. "It's somewhat up to interpretation - because of how it's shot, and what you see and hear, and what you can't see and hear. You hear her voice, talking about having a sexy secret."

Source: vogue.co.uk

AGYNESS THE ACTRESS

2008-05-23T23:24:00.004+02:00

Supermodel Agyness Dayn has tried her hand at singing and has started her own ban. Now she has decided to go into acting also. Currently she is shooting a short film by band mate Alanna Masterson in Long Island. "It's the first time I've actually had to speak! I kind of feel like fish out of water, and I'm finding a big pond to swim in. I just like opening up different channels and keeping myself interested," says Deyn, who plays an imaginary friend in the film - which, with a working title The Right Side of My Exultant Brain, also stars Dustin Hoffman's son Jake.

"It's nice working on this particular thing because it's friends, and it's a very chilled environment to learn," she adds on NYMAG.COM. "I'm just throwing myself in. It's only natural that if you are playing a part you'll remember experiences from your life, but my part is very lighthearted, quite sarcastic, and fun."

KATE MOSS FOR TOPSHOP

2008-05-21T23:02:00.009+02:00

Kate Moss´ new collection for Topshop is boho inspired. The Bohemian styled collection ranges in price from £10 for a vest to £150 for a premium dress. You can buy the collection both at the store and online.

I think I quite like it, although I suspect that it looks better on pictures than in reality. I love the red pansy dress, it costs £60,00 but unfortunately it´s sold out at the moment. It also comes in purple and there are only sizes UK 6 and UK 8 left. The indian printed dress in the middle costs £45,00 but it is sold out as well. This Indian print dress comes as a cami also and it costs £35,00. Sizes UK 12, 14, 16 are left.

I also like this striped ´50 dress, £45,00. By the way, I found a picture where Kate is wearing this dress. Right now sizes UK 12, 14 and 16 are left.

FABULOUS FASHION JOB AT FT!

2008-05-21T20:22:00.004+02:00

It's all change at the Financial Times and, if you're a writer with an introductory background in fashion and a familiarity with pop culture - or, alternatively, with a features or culture background and an interest in fashion - then that could be very good news indeed for you. Vanessa Friedman, who has been the publication's fashion editor since 2002, is relocating to New York and - due to her deputy Edwina Ings-Chambers moving to Sunday Times Style, after an impressive 11 years - is looking for a replacement who can be a point of contact for the Weekend Style pages in England.

While the section will still be driven conceptually by Friedman, she is currently seeking someone "on the ground", who can work on the pages independently with the art director and subeditors and connect with the British fashion world. So, if you have your finger firmly on the international fashion pulse and have approximately five years experience in writing, reporting and basic editing, start polishing your CV now. Send enquiries and resumes to vanessa.friedman@ft.com; the interview process will be starting shortly.

Source: vogue.co.uk

GISELE EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE OF SHOES

2008-05-21T20:09:00.008+02:00

I have read that Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen LOVES shoes and tries to explain to men why the shoes are important to women: "You could compare it to what guys are like about cars. Shoes to women are just as exciting and important. I must have more than 100 pairs. I don't even think that's excessive for a woman." I totally agree with you on this, Gisele! Although I think that men don´t only love cars, they love all the technical gadgets.

SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE CLIPS!

2008-05-20T22:03:00.008+02:00

God, I just found these Sex and the City Movie clips on Youtube. They are not long (under 1 minute) and take a long time to load (at least for me) but there are 3 of them! They are really good! I miss SATC so much! I want to see the movie now! Don´t miss it! Here are the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnaWbxVR5h4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXJ4wKfdJIE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjxC77BdUNo&feature=related

MONICA BELLUCCI FOR DIOR

2008-05-20T21:38:00.004+02:00

I found some beautiful ads by Dior that I have never seen before. The model is Italian actress Monica Bellucci. She looks very good, little bit airbrushed but still stunning. I love her! She is a classical beauty. Of cource the bags look very lovely too!

ICE CREAM LIPS

2008-05-20T21:34:00.004+02:00

Literally good enough to eat, these miniature tubs of Ice Cream Lip Balms are sure to be a hit for summer. A calorie-free treat for your lips, they have a twist-up tub so you don't even have to scrape the bottom if you happen to run out - which you will after using them to keep your lips looking smooth during the warm weather. Why not invest in a few flavours to keep you going? The party pack of four includes strawberry, mint choc chip, bubble gum and chocolate fudge. £7.99

Source: vogue.co.uk

GWYNETH PALTROW FOR TOD´S

2008-05-20T21:19:00.006+02:00

Gwyneth Paltrow has been confirmed as the face of Italian accessories company Tod´s autumn/winter 2008-9 collection. The campaign was shot by photographer Mario Testino in Capri. She replaces fellow leading lady Sienna Miller, who starred in last year's campaigns. Creative director Derek Lam explains why Gwyneth was chosen: "Gwyneth effortlessly embodies the spirit of the all American woman with timeless elegance and modern flair - the perfect representation of the Tod's woman. And, of course, beyond her impeccable style, she is an artist whose body of work I greatly admire."

I found this picture at Vogue´s website and I love it! It is very feminine, elegant and soft. I like the bag too!

VERSACE WINS SUPERSTAR AWARD

2008-05-20T21:11:00.003+02:00

Donatella Versace is officially to be recognised as a fashion megastar. The Italian design dynamo will be awarded the prestigious Superstar Award by Fashion Group International at this year's annual Night of Stars gala - which celebrates its 25th year in 2008 - at Cipriani Wall Street on October 23. Poignantly for Versace, her brother Gianni won the award in 1995, two years before his death.

Jean Paul Gaultier took home the trophy last year, following in the footsteps of a veritable Who's Who of the international fashion scene; Tom Ford, Nino Cerruti, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani and Valentino are also among the award's previous recipients.

Source: vogue.co.uk

GORGEOUS CANNES OUTFITS

2008-05-17T16:22:00.014+02:00

Here are some of my favourite Cannes outfits so far.

Natalie Portman - she looks perfect in this purple dress by Lanvin!

Bar Rafaeli - I love this colour on her. Her dress looks like Versace.

Angelina Jolie - she is just glowing and looking so happy. Amazing!

Cate Blanchett - Wow! I don´t know what to say! She looks gorgeous in her Armani dress and she gave birth few weeks ago!

Aishwarya Rai - simple but very elegant!

Mischa Barton - she has been looking bad lately but in this white dress she looks young and lovely!

Petra Nemcova - she looks so sweet and pretty!

NICKY HILTON´S OUTFITS

2008-05-17T15:38:00.009+02:00

Here she is walking at the street, looking very summery. I love this little white dress and the shoes but I would have chosen a different bag. Her Mad Mary shoes are by Christian Louboutin and her bag is by Balenciaga. I remember that Rachel Bilson has boots in the same style. she wore them at her film premiere in Italy. They look so rock´n´roll! Right now Barneys has these shoes and they cost $865,00. Only US size 8 is left, sorry.

Here at the second picture Nicky is shopping with Paris in Kitson. I like her outfit again! She is wearing a tank top by Missoni. This Missoni top has a cardigan also. You can buy both of them at Bloomingdales, tank top costs $345,00 and the cardigan costs $550,00. Nicky´s glitter silver shoes are by Christian Louboutin again and I love them again!

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

2008-05-17T15:22:00.008+02:00

Have you ever wanted a fabulous blowdry that lasts for months? I found this article from Daily Mail. I was impressed. Afterwards I found little news about it on vogue.co.uk, so it seems that it is some kind of launch of a new service. Now I am skeptical and wonder if it is really that good like the girl describes in this article?

Why do my hair and I hate Britain's seasons so? Let me count the ways. When it rains, my hair frizzes into candyfloss. When it's hot and I step into the cool air conditioning, my hair bristles in shock. With every gust of wind, the haystack tangle on the back of my head grows bigger and stronger, like some hairy animal that threatens to suffocate me.

My hair is thick, coarse and disobedient. I function day-to-day only with a strict regime of blow-drying and straightening. Such styling is tedious in the extreme, yet I am still a slave to it. My hairdryer and ghd straighteners may make me more presentable, but they are so time-consuming I lose out on sleep and have a nasty case of Frizzer's Elbow from all those hours spent holding the instruments of torture over my fluffy head.

So when I hear of a new treatment that promises the effect of a "permanent blow-dry" that lasts three months, I unplug my hairdryer, throw down my tongs and race to Daniel Hersheson's salon in London's Mayfair. "Are you absolutely sure you haven't used any bleach?" asks Amir, the stylist, as he holds up a woolly hank of my hair between a disapproving thumb and forefinger.

Bleach?! My hair is almost as dark as Morticia Addams's, thanks to an unfortunately intense dying disaster a few weeks back. Despite a scalp-full of jet-black evidence proving I am not a naughty user of peroxide, Amir looks unconvinced. "But how else could your hair be so dry, so damaged?" he asks, shuddering theatrically.

He has 35 years' experience with hair, and I get the feeling my barnet is upsetting him. "We must get rid of your wiry hair. No more frizz!" Fine, I think. Fine. Give me all the abuse you like, just fix my frizz. And so he does. "This product works best on coloured and damaged hair,' he raves, eager to begin. "In fact, the worse condition your hair is in, the better the treatment performs."

I smile along with him and keep my fingers tightly crossed. First, his assistant shampoos and conditions my hair. Judging by her platinum crop, she is no stranger to bleach, yet her hair is soft and silky and sits just so. Very promising. Next, Amir sits me down in front of the mirror and paints on the nourishing treatment, section by section. It's a protein-rich superfood for hair, apparently, soothing each strand with a blend of cocoa, plant vitamins, red clay and other natural ingredients.

It smells so much like caramel that I want to dive in tongue first. If it didn't cost upwards of £200, I'd be licking the brush. The treatment stays on for about ten minutes, and instead of washing it out, Amir starts rough-drying it. The product dries to a silky, ungreasy finish, though I do worry it will look lank later on. But as Amir painstakingly blow-dries my hair around a barrel brush, I can see the bouncy yet smooth style taking shape.

I am pleased to note it takes him 45 minutes - and he's a professional. No wonder my at-home hairdrying sessions were so tough on my arms. The prospect of not having to wrestle with my wire-wool hair for three months is delicious. The finish Amir gives my hair is so good that when he picks up the straighteners I falter. Would that not spoil it? He explains that the treatment is not complete unless it is sealed into each hair shaft with the straighteners.

But he reassures me that unlike other hair relaxants, this stuff isn't going to make my hair brittle and poker-straight. In fact, the idea is that natural waves and curls remain; but they're smoother and more defined. I breathe out and let him have his way with the straighteners. As I glide out of the salon, half blinded by the shine coming off my head, I take note of Amir's strict instructions for the next three days, until I am allowed to shampoo my hair myself.

Rain and hairbands are the enemy: water will make my hair frizz up permanently (horrors!), and even one ping of a tight hairband will cause an irreparable kink. "Really," he says tenderly, "you do have beautiful hair now. It will be easy for you to take good care of it." I shake the miracle-worker's hand. I may have even promised him my first-born. For the next three days, I stay in and watch my hair get more and more greasy.

When I am finally allowed to shampoo it, I leave it to dry naturally - something I'd never have done before, even if an axe-murderer had been chasing me from my house. But sure enough, my hair dries as soft as a kitten's and twice as glossy. To the untrained eye (i.e., my boyfriend's), my hairstyle looks just the same. Only better. It takes prompting, but he does notice that my hair looks luscious and shiny like never before.

My new locks aren't Halloweenfrightwig straight, but glossy and smooth. For once, if I want tousled locks, I'll have to get busy with my curling tongs. The best thing is, it holds the style yet has lots of natural movement. The massive tangle that has lurked at the top of my neck since the dawn of time is gone. My fingers glide through it over and over again, unable to believe they haven't been eaten by the Venus flytrap-like jaws of my old tangles.

The only other restriction about the permanent blow-dry is that you can't colour or bleach your hair for three days after having the treatment, but after that you're free to do as you please. So is the permanent blow-dry worth the money? Gisele Bundchen, the only supermodel who out-earns Kate Moss, swears by it. But for ordinary women without million-dollar salaries, is it just an indulgent treat for the party season ahead? Absolutely not. As Amy Winehouse will no doubt testify, when your hair is a frizzy mess, your whole life can go haywire.

Now that I'm glossed to the max, my friends comment on how much more relaxed and happy I seem. My hair is not just manageable, but a delight. I stop fussing over it, even when I have to dash straight from work to a black-tie party in 20 minutes flat. "But," warns my friend Anna, "if you keep swishing your hair about smugly like that, I can't promise I'll be able to stop myself hacking it off."

• Daniel Henderson's salon is on Conduit Street, London W1, 020 7434 1747. Prices from £200.

BERGDORF IS BEST

2008-05-17T15:16:00.002+02:00

If you're looking for the best customer experience and a good helping of luxury when it comes to shopping, there's only one place to go: Bergdorf Goodman. The Fifth Avenue department store beat the likes of Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Barneys New York and Bloomingdales, to be ranked by the 2008 Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI) survey - from the independent New York-based Luxury Institute - as the US's most prestigious luxury retailer. According to The Daily, the store proved to be most popular with women over 50-years-old with a net income of $150,000 to $199,000 and a net worth of under $1million. The quality of it merchandise and attention to customer service was also noted.

Source: vogue.co.uk