Commercial work

March 8th, 2013 admin
Posted in Commercial work, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia, Mercedes Benz fashion week, Olympics, Professional, Runways of Russia Tags:

Art, high-fashion commerce blur together in ‘Herb Ritts: L.A. Style’.

Herb Ritts was an anomaly in the competitive world of high-fashion photography. Though one of the brightest stars in the 1980s and 1990s, he was based in Los Angeles rather than New York or Paris, where most of his (small) peer group operated. It was one of the things that set him apart, that and his interest in photographs that had the gloss of his commercial work but had aesthetic aspirations as well.

“Herb Ritts: L.A. Style,” which includes 80 examples of his work, is on view at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Among the works are fashion shoots, celebrity portraits and nudes. Line, volume and texture are constants throughout but are most evident in his male nudes, because there are few if any elements besides flesh over bone and muscle, which he uses to dramatic sculptural effect.Sometimes nudity and celebrity merge, as in the ravishing portraits of dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones and actor Djimon Hounsou. In one, in which only his upper body is visible, Hounsou wears an octopus on his head, its tentacles draped like dreadlocks, the head perched on top with its eye glaring at the viewer. It’s bizarre for sure, but the tonal qualities Ritts teases from a gelatin silver print, which has a range of 12 tones from black to white, are stunning, rivaling the superior platinum print process, which has a tonal range of 60.

Ritts’ celebrity portraits don’t hew to the worshipful literacy of Annie Leibovitz and earlier masters such as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon. The subject’s personality is subsumed to physical details and composition.

Light and dark are the stars in the portraits of basketball greats Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Johnson holds his face in his hands, partially obscuring it, with eyes closed. And those hands! The sides gleam so brightly, they seem about to erupt in little sparks. Jordan, on the other hand, is completely backlit against a wall of glass, his body a dark silhouette reduced to pure form.

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Successful artistically

March 7th, 2013 admin
Posted in Dudnikova, Kate Upton, Professional, Runways of Russia, Star, Successful artistically, Talked, The Avrora Fashion Week Tags:

Ritts did plenty of more conventional portraits, but the most successful artistically are those with eccentricities. Designer Jean-Paul Gaultier’s face, for example, is in shadow with the emphasis on the spiral pattern of his short blond hair. Artist David Hockney stands before a wall of portraits holding one of his mother in front of his face. One of the most straight-on and famous is a profile of Madonna for her True Blue album. It’s also the one in which she is the most beautiful version of herself. He imbues her with both vulnerability and glamor as she tilts her head back, neck swanlike and exposed, the natural light creating a lovely curve of shadow beneath her jaw.

Ritts achieved his broadest fame in fashion, of course. This show is less heavy with those images, because the emphasis is on his artistic aspirations. But those that are included reveal how thin the divide has become between art and commerce in the photographic medium. The point of model Cindy Crawford in a Gianfranco Ferre haute couture ball gown was to market a beautiful dress worn by a beautiful woman. But the result was also a beautiful photograph. Ritts loved the California beach and desert and exploited the hard West Coast sunlight. In this image, Crawford vamps on the sand in an exaggerated pose that emphasizes her long legs and lovely shoulders, almost upstaging the dress.

Crawford, who was a good friend of Ritts’, is in several more photographs and contributed to the excellent audio tour available at the museum, talking about the day this image was shot and Ritts in general.

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Busy beyond belief

March 6th, 2013 admin
Posted in Busy beyond belief, Star, Talked, The Avrora Fashion Week, Uncategorized, Woman, Woman Protests Tags:

Ritts, according to all reports, was greatly liked and admired before his death at 50 in 2002 from AIDS-related illnesses. He was raised in affluence in California (his next-door neighbor was Steve McQueen) and was as comfortable with rich and famous people as were they with him. A great example of his personal charm and popularity is a 1989 photograph of models Crawford, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, Stephanie Seymour and Naomi Campbell. There they are, five of the most famous women in the world, busy beyond belief and undoubtedly competitive, sitting in an entwined love embrace in Ritts’ house.

The backstory was typical of Ritts. After a commercial assignment, he would often utilize a location and crew for a personal shoot and everyone seemed happy to help. In this instance, four of these women had just wrapped up a fashion shoot with Ritts and he asked them to pose. One of them suggested he call the fifth supermodel, who happened to be in Los Angeles, to join them to make it a better photograph. Then they agreed to do it nude. That’s what friends are for. Ritts returned the friendship in kind, creating a graceful composition of long limbs and exquisite features that probably took hours to work out. As Crawford says on the audiotape, everyone trusted him to make them look wonderful.

Ritts often shot commissioned work in color but reproduced it for his own limited-edition portfolio in black and white, which is what you see here. He owned the rights to all his photographs, which became the property of the Herb Ritts Foundation after his death. Its board, which includes his longtime friend Richard Gere, decided never to make posthumous prints, so all were supervised by the photographer himself.

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Fabulous male models

March 5th, 2013 admin
Posted in Fabulous male models, Lisa Faulkner, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia, Mercedes Benz fashion week, Olympics, Professional, Reebok, Roberto Cavalli, Rose McGowan, Runways of Russia, Russian fashion, Russian girlfriend, Russian women Tags:

The show does have a few of his famous magazine covers in color for Vogue and Vanity Fair, including the hilarious one he took of Crawford shaving K.D. Lang for its August 1993 cover. And there are examples of his video work on a monitor. As with his still photography, Ritts was mostly self-taught as a videographer. His first music video was for Madonna’s Cherish and for it he utilized the beach and fabulous male models. Some of his stylized ads for clients such as Calvin Klein are also included, as is an ad featuring a luminous Isabella Rossellini wearing bright red lipstick.

“Herb Ritts: L.A. Style” was organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles using its own substantial collection of Ritts’ work, which was a gift of the Herb Ritts Foundation, and images still part of the foundation. Curator Paul Martineau, associate curator in the museum’s Department of Photography, said he began with 1,100 available prints that he eventually whittled down to about 150 for an exhibition at the Getty. Matthew McLendon, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Ringling, helped downsize it more for the Ringling galleries.

The exhibition makes a strong case for Ritts’ work as an artist, even when he worked as a photographer for hire. But some of the photographs, especially those done for haute couture fashion house catalogs, are simply very fine fashion photography, nothing more.

And yet. One can’t argue about the audacious genius of his photograph of a pair of couture pants shot from the back. The model is contorted in a pose that leaves her head invisible and arms near invisible. The bones of her spine protrude in high relief from her topless back. It would please fans of surrealism and fashion industry insiders alike. He seemed to occupy that wobbly wire above art and commerce with confidence and never lost his balance.

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Best dressed

February 26th, 2013 admin
Posted in Best dressed, I Love Fashion Tags:

Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham Crowned ‘Fashion Royalty’ In Sunday Times Style.

It’s easy to confuse one who graces best-dressed lists with a royal: Both are elegant, stylish and have that certain air of regality. Fortunately, The Sunday Times’ Style Magazine has decided to take this concept to a new level.

In an effort to create buzz for its forthcoming 2013 Best-Dressed List, the UK publication has given Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and more style stars the crowns they deserve. The campaign, created by Grey London to promote the list, portrays the contenders as iconic British monarchs.

Ms. Moss is featured with white hair, pearls and a crown à la Queen Elizabeth II in her Chris Levine-lensed portrait. Beckham, quite fittingly, takes on the role of Queen Victoria, while Tinie Tempah looks like a dapper King Louis XVI of France. Needless to say, the concept is “fashion royalty.”

Funny enough, this isn’t the first time a fashion mag has thrown a crown on Kate. The supermodel’s royal-inspired Vogue UK cover is currently in the running for the “Cover of the Century” title, so we’re guessing this is a pretty compelling theme for the Times to go with. Plus, you already know how much we love royals…

You can see the full Best-Dressed List in this week’s Sunday Times Style Magazine. In the meantime, check out the aristocratic campaign below!

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Single moment dominated

February 25th, 2013 admin
Posted in Single moment dominated, Talked, Woman Tags:

Autumn/Winter 2013 | The Season That Was.

This season, no single moment dominated the fashion conversation. But there was still lots to talk about. Today, BoF brings you our bi-annual post-fashion month feature, The Season That Was.Another fashion season has come to an end. And what does the industry do for four weeks, as we sit next to each other at back-to-back shows and dinners? We talk, of course.

Unlike in seasons past, there was no single moment that dominated the fashion conversation. There was no Galliano meltdown or Raf Simons for Dior unveiling, though there were several young designers who made promising debuts in Paris, most notably Alexander Wang’s faithful, marble-inspired collection for Balenciaga. Mr Wang’s first collection was very well received, while Hedi Slimane still seemed to confound fashion critics, even if some buyers saw commercial promise in his ‘California Grunge’ collection.

But at fashion week, we don’t only talk about the shows. There are plenty of other topics that had the industry buzzing, which we’ve distilled down for you in our bi-annual post-fashion month feature, The Season That Was.If recent seasons have been defined by the rise of Instagram, this season, as some slow-moving brands were only just launching their Instagram accounts (Dior, for one) others were embracing the latest app to take the fashion world by storm: Vine, launched by Twitter on 24 January 2013, just days before the start of the international collections.

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Quite

February 25th, 2013 admin
Posted in Keni Valenti, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia, Quite Tags:

The Vine wave began during New York Fashion Week with early adopters like WSJ and CFDA President Steven Kolb — “I’m a frustrated filmmaker!” he told me — and continued to pick up steam as the season went on. By the end of Paris Fashion Week, it seemed everyone had switched onto the new bite-sized looping video service.

With yet another social account to manage, however, having an efficient device and asset management strategy has become an important skill for bloggers and editors juggling Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram and now Vine, while trying to take in and transmit the energy of a fashion show. BoF columnist and dedicated social media maven Susie Bubble has taken to ‘double-fisting’, using one smartphone to take video and another to take photos, with a sizable SLR camera balancing in her lap. Now that’s dedication.

But perhaps this is why the clapping at the end of shows seems to be dissipating, as Jefferson Hack quite rightly pointed out to me in New York, surmising that because everyone is so busy updating their social media accounts during show finales, they no longer take the time to acknowledge the designers’ hard work.At least one designer managed to get everyone to put their phones down and savour the moment. Riccardo Tisci received a resounding ovation at the end of his show, possibly the best of his entire tenure at Givenchy, where a strong collection, elevated production values and spine-tingling music from Antony & The Johnsons came together in an unforgettable way.

Getting the right balance can be tricky. Rick Owens, for one, always seems to nail it. This season he created a set that swept the models’ blown-out hair with steam that hit their faces just as they stepped out onto the runway. Chanel put on another impressive, large-scale production at the Grand Palais, which was dominated by a single giant globe marking more than 300 Chanel stores around the world (revealing the brand’s massive presence in Asia). Actually titled ‘Globalisation,’ the show was a commentary on the global force that Chanel has become in recent years.

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Rising star

February 25th, 2013 admin
Posted in Alongside, Rising star Tags:

Rising star Mary Katrantzou also upped her production game this season. At a late-night fashion dinner in Paris, I met highly-respected show producer Alex de Betak for the first time and we talked about the first show he worked on with Mary and the first he has staged in London since he started working with Hussein Chalayan more than a decade ago. Though Mary’s show started more than 45 minutes late (much to the consternation of the British Fashion Council), it was worth the wait. Mr Betak explained to me how he used a bit of clever digital trickery to project images of the models on a screen at the far end of the runway before they had even emerged from the backstage area.

But while some designers were amping things up, others were paring things back, most notably Marc Jacobs, whose Louis Vuitton productions have sometimes overpowered the clothes — not always in a good way. But this season, there was no buzz-generating escalator or merry-go-round or $7 million steam train. In their place was a simple, elegant set of a hotel corridor with many, many doors and gorgeous music that enabled the assembled fashion flock to take in the collection more calmly, without detracting from the overall impact.

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Honest

February 24th, 2013 admin
Posted in Honest, Irina Shayk Tags:

Perhaps the best example of the pared-back vibe came courtesy of Hermès, whose show in the stunning library of the prestigious Lycée Henri IV had only single-row groupings of chairs, each one of which created an intimate, living-room like feel from which to take in the sumptuous, ultra-luxe collection.“The challenge here in Milan is the calendar. With just two to three shows a day — coming out of New York, where we do 12 to 14 shows and presentations, and London with 10 shows a day — we’re not maximising our time, and not optimising what we should be doing in this country,” Ken Downing, fashion director of Neiman Marcus told WWD shortly after the conclusion of Milan Fashion Week. “They need to condense the calendar to put more shows within the course of the day, or they need to entice other designers to start showing here so that we’re filling this time in with collections that we should be looking at.”

With honest feedback like that, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana should start thinking about how to inject some new energy into Milan Fashion Week. Save for editors who need to make appearances in Milan to assuage testy advertisers, and buyers who must attend to buy into the city’s megabrands, more and more members of the industry seem to be skipping Milan Fashion Week altogether, a trend that has been gathering momentum for quite a few seasons now.

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Alongside

February 24th, 2013 admin
Posted in Alongside, Talked, Top models, Woman Tags:

But alongside Milan’s lacklustre schedule, there may be another factor at work here. Since 2004, when the Hollywood’s Academy Awards ceremony moved from mid March to late February, Milan Fashion Week has often found itself competing with the Oscars for global media attention. This year, the Oscars took place smack dab in the middle of Milan Fashion Week and all fashion eyes seemed to be fixated on who was wearing what on the red carpet in Los Angeles — not the runways in Milan. This year’s big winner was Dior, which dressed both Jennifer Lawrence and Charlize Theron in beautiful couture gowns. The photo of Ms Lawrence falling on the stairs as she walked up to receive her Best Actress award went viral on social media, and was even re-purposed into a pseudo Dior advertisement.

In an article in The New York Times that came out shortly after this year’s Oscars, Eric Wilson chronicled the impact of Oscars red-carpet dressing along with some interesting statistical analysis. As it turns out, the real masters of Oscars marketing magic are three Italian brands: Versace, Armani and Valentino, which collectively dressed 75 of the 418 women in the New York Times archive, which allows you to search and sort by brand, celebrity and colour. And that’s not counting the legions of leading men who are also dressed by Mr Armani.

It’s no wonder that the Italian brands are placing so much attention on the Oscars, which have become a marketing platform like no other, and especially powerful for reaching mass audiences to build an overall brand halo. But what could be the long-term impact of the Oscars on Milan Fashion Week?

We’ll see. But next year, it looks like Milan will get a bit of a reprieve from the Oscars competition. Due to the Winter Olympics, which will be held in Sochi, Russia, in February 2014, the Oscars ceremony will likely take place in March, after fashion week is over.

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Young designer initiatives

February 23rd, 2013 admin
Posted in Rose McGowan, Runways of Russia, Russian fashion, Young designer initiatives Tags:

IN PARIS, A LINGERING PROBLEM OF FASHION EDUCATION.

With the arrival of MADE in Paris this season, alongside other young designer initiatives including the ‘Designers Apartment’ hosted by the Chambre Syndicale and the Festival d’Hyères, the fashion establishment in Paris finally seems ready to nurture the talent that will define its future.

But according to Nathalie Dufour, a longtime supporter of young designers in Paris, there are still other issues that need to be addressed before Paris can develop a young designer ecosystem as vibrant as the ones in New York or London. Ms Dufour, who with Pierre Bergé co-founded the prestigious ANDAM prize in 1989, when it supported Martin Margiela on his first collection, knows a thing or two about talent spotting.

“In France, fashion is taught like an art,” Ms. Dufour told me over tea. “It’s been like that for a long time. In England and New York, every one knows it’s an industry. For twenty years or more we have had this problem of [poor] training. French fashion education has to change, they are still focused on the bourgeoisie.”

To wit, Maxime Simoens who showed his first ready-to-wear collection in Paris left a few editors, including this one, scratching their heads. Mr Simoens is clearly a talented young man, but his collection was far too short on ideas to justify sending out 40 looks down a long, winding runway, with a repetitive soundtrack. A tighter edit of his collection, focused on the strongest looks, would have helped him to deliver greater impact, especially when many editors were paying closer attention to Mr Simoens following a recently announced minority investment from LVMH. It was a missed opportunity.

Ms Dufour says another challenge for young French designers is the tradition of Haute Couture in France, which can sometimes weigh down designers like Mr Simoens, who has only shown Haute Couture until now. “Haute Couture is a handicap” she said. “It’s a savoir faire, but no more than that. Point of view and personality is what we need [more of] in Paris.”

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Top models

February 22nd, 2013 admin
Posted in Anna Chapman, Best dressed, Busy beyond belief, Commercial work, Demi Lovato, Dudnikova, Top models Tags:

THE FASHION PROM.

Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Moss, Carine Roitfeld and Riccardo Tisci at the CR Fashion Book Party | Source: Courtesy of CR Fashion Book
Fashion month ended with the must-attend party of the season, hosted by Carine Roitfeld and Steven Gan to celebrate the second issue of CR Fashion Book, Ms. Roitfeld’s magazine, published by my friend, the affable Jorge Garcia.
Those arriving on the later side had to contend with a near-riot outside the new Shangri-La Hotel, when its gates were slammed shut because the crowd inside was already at over-capacity. Invitees like designer Jason Wu, photographer Mario Sorrenti and a gaggle of top models were left clamouring to get in. One bystander likened the scrum to the storming of the Bastille. Eventually, security surrendered to the growing fashion mob, and storm the hotel we did.
Once inside, all the tension seemed to disappear as a who’s who of the industry — the men dressed in black tie, the women in gowns and dresses, many fresh off the runway — participated in something like fashion’s high-school prom, albeit one with a level of glamour and style you couldn’t find anywhere else in the world.

Kate Moss made an appearance in a sheer Saint Laurent jumpsuit; Karlie Kloss, Arizona Muse and Sofia Sanchez threw shapes in Mary Katrantzou; Vanessa Traina dressed in new Balenciaga by Alexander Wang, and Joan Smalls bared her legs in a thigh-high slit dress by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy.

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Professionals line

February 16th, 2013 admin
Posted in Lisa Faulkner, Luxury, Professionals line, Reebok, Roberto Cavalli, Rose McGowan, Russian girlfriend Tags:

Unilever, DailyCandy Partner For ‘Fashion Star’.

Unilever’s Suave division is touting its high-end Suave Professionals line and its new Moroccan Oil Infusion products via a partnership with beauty and personal care digital content channel DailyCandy.com and NBC’s “Fashion Star.”

The campaign, which links to the Suave Professionals digital hub at Suave.com, is a high-end experiential invitation-only event in New York that pairs a viewing of the TV show with a “Suave Shine Suite” makeover experience.

The NBC “Fashion Star” viewing party at the Tribeca Grand gives DailyCandy’s New York habitués a chance to attend a screening of the second episode of Fashion Star’s second season on March 15, and the finale on May 10. Besides getting a makeover, participants get to hang with contestants of the current season and ogle the outfits from the first two seasons. Invitees can also participate in raffles to win merchandise from the show and from the program’s retailers Macy’s, Express, Saks and Fifth Avenue.

The makeover element of the three-hour event is handled by “Suave’s Professional Styling Team” who use the new Moroccan Oil SKU under the auspices of DailyCandy. The tickets are available on Monday morning, with DailyCandy doing an email blast to its New York fans announcing the first-come, first-served ticket offer at shinesuite.eventbrite.com. For Suave, the platform is an extension of its “Shine Suite” trend site on Suave.com, the hub for a promotion dangling a $100,000 grand prize. The company partnered with celebrity Nicole Richie, who is promoting the contest online and in ads.

“We have a great on going relationship with Unilever,” says Fernando Romero, VP of Advertising Sales for DailyCandy, adding that the media channel is in its second year supporting Suave. “Suave, specifically, is looking to connect with an influential customer, and they trust is to position them against the ideal consumer.” He tells Marketing Daily DailyCandy does several experiential events per month, some of them nationwide. Last season, the channel supported Suave with events in Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, he says.

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Good quality

February 11th, 2013 admin
Posted in Commercial work, Dudnikova, Fashion designer, Good quality Tags:

Bag yourself a bargain at Compassion Fashion.

CAUSEWAY Coast Vineyard is inviting the public to its £1-All-Around Sale.
The event will be a celebration of getting good quality, pre-loved clothes to the people of the North Coast – a ‘pop-up’ twist on a charity shop, complete with dressing rooms and a cafe area.

Shoppers can buy clothing, accessories, bed linen and books, with every item marked at just £1 and all profits going to support Vineyard Compassion, a local charity that tackles poverty in the community.
The sale is a two-day charity event selling over 2,000 items of menswear, womenswear and childrenswear, along with accessories, books and bedlinen.

It takes place on Friday and Saturday, March 15-16 from 9am to 4pm at the newly built Causeway Coast Vineyard venue, Hillman Way, Coleraine.
Anna Bentley, spokesman of the Vineyard Compassion Wear House which operates as a clothing bank offering good quality clothing, shoes and accessories free of charge to those that are in need, said: “Tell your neighbours and bring your friends – come ready to shop till you drop and then relax over a cuppa.
“On the Saturday you can also do some extra bargain-hunting or pick up some great local produce at the Vineyard Car Boot Sale, Farmers Market and Craft Fair which will be happening at the same time.
“In the meantime we’re gladly accepting clothing donations of items for the sale – it’s a great opportunity to clean out your closets and get rid of your unwanted clothes – for good!”

Causeway Coast Vineyard is also gratefully accepting donations of good quality clothes, shoes, and accessories at the Compassion Wear House.There is also a green donations bunker at the old Dunnes Store by the Mall Car Park in Coleraine.

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Luxury

January 20th, 2013 admin
Posted in Keni Valenti, Kim Kardashian, Luxury, Successful artistically, Talked, The Avrora Fashion Week Tags:

Paris Fashion Week fall 2013: Chanel review.

When it comes to the world of luxury fashion, Chanel is the universal language. That was the message at the Chanel fall 2013 show held Tuesday morning at Paris Fashion Week, where Karl Lagerfeld’s latest, greatest piece of runway scenery under the ornate glass ceiling of the Grand Palais was a gigantic, rotating globe with tiny Chanel flags planted wherever the brand is sold, which is pretty much everywhere judging from the map, except for Africa, Greenland, New Zealand and some other places.

But don’t fret, Chanel’s luxury empire undoubtedly will not stop until it reaches the ends of the Earth and beyond. Perhaps Lagerfeld should be a space tourist? But seriously, the giant rotating globe was a reminder that the brand is unrivaled in the luxury arena for taking the show on the road, most recently to Linlithgo Palace in Scotland in December, to present specialized, limited-edition collections inspired by a particular destination. It’s a shrewd strategy to make a multibillion-dollar global brand like Chanel seem more special, and to convey a one-size-does-not-fit-all message to shoppers.
FULL COVERAGE: 2013 Fashion Week

The look: Sporty and sweet. Coco Chanel’s classic design codes reworked into pieces that touched on many of the themes we have seen on other runways this season. Mannish, oversized coats. Chunky knits (one in cream, with front patch pockets and round knitted “pearls” at the neckline). The classic tweed jacket remade as fringey tunic, and worn over a hoodie for a streetwise edge. The new suit, which is a longer-length tweed jacket or anorak, worn with a matching tweed skater skirt and thigh-high leather boots, or jeans with tweed patches on the legs. Little black dresses with flared skirts and puffy sleeves. Quirky extras included colorful fur helmets and glittery eye makeup. As for accessories, there were chain-decorated biker boots, oversized quilted leather clutches, acrylic Lego-like minaudieres carried over from last season, and globe-shaped purses suspended from chain handles.The verdict: Itemy, in other words packed with commercial pieces. Even if the show wasn’t quite as transporting as some of Lagerfeld’s recent collections, he always manages to tweak things just enough each time to keep Chanel fans coming back for more.

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Talked

January 6th, 2013 admin
Posted in I Love Fashion, Irina Shayk, Kate Upton, Keni Valenti, Kim Kardashian, Lisa Faulkner, Talked Tags:

Paris fashion week: seven things we talked about.

You’ve seen the trends, now here’s the gossip – from Alex Ferguson’s unexpected influence on style to some shocking news about shoulder bags.
You know how Alex Ferguson always says no player is bigger than Man United? That attitude is one that fashion-industry bosses are now adopting. The new generation of designers working as hands-for-hire for the major fashion houses will not be allowed to become gods in their own right in the way that the previous generation – Tom Ford at Gucci, John Galliano at Dior – were able to do. François-Henri Pinault, the head of PPR, has made it clear that, post-Ford, the brand will always be the front-of-house product, not the designer’s creativity. (As for LVMH – well, we all know how the allowing-Galliano’s-genius-to-blossom-unchecked strategy panned out.) The result is that the new generation of designers – Wang at Balenciaga is the obvious example – are duty-bound to promote the codes of the house, or the DNA of the brand, at every turn. Which is fine, and interesting to a point. But when it gets to be in every single sleeve-shape, it is in danger of becoming a little bit boring.
So basically, half the designers in Paris have bosses who are running around bashing them over the head with fashion history books, and the other half are like “I’m so glad I don’t have that, I’m so free”, and as a result they are enjoying showing off about how their collections are all about a personal emotion. Paris fashion right now can be divided into Team Codes of the House and Team It’s Just What I Want to Wear, as a Woman.
You know your bag? That great big bulging one, that you sling over your shoulder? Nobody at Paris fashion week has a bag like that. The type of handbag owned by 99.9999% of British women – sack-like, practical shoulder strap for comfort even when it weighs a tonne, capacious enough for spare shoes/the stuff you need to get from Tesco on the way home – does not exist at Paris fashion week, either on the catwalk or among the audience. Evening bags are clutchbags or pouches; day bags are slightly bigger pouches that should be hugged to the body. Shoulder straps must be removed or tucked out of sight. If you absolutely must have a bag bigger than a clutch/huggable pouch (ie if you are British) it should have short straps, like a basket, so that you hold it in your hand rather than sling it over your shoulder.

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Professional

January 5th, 2013 admin
Posted in Anna Chapman, Demi Lovato, Dudnikova, Fashion designer, Global Fashion Awards, Professional Tags:

Suzy Menkes, quiffed queen of the front row, got everyone’s La Perlas in a twist with an article attacking that new breed of fashion-industry professional, the blogger. (In Menkes’s piece, he black crows are the old-school fashion editors, who wore something wonky and dour and Japanese; the bloggers, with their statement heels and bare legs and look-at-meeee outfits, are the peacocks.) Hard to know where to stand on this.
My personal respect for Menkes is immense, but on the other hand I am also seriously impressed by bloggers who are able to shoulder-robe a jacket while taking a photo. Can’t we all just be friends?
Cara who? This Paris fashion week has been all about Karlie Kloss and her gorgeous bob-with-bangs, as the Americans call it. Michelle Obama’s already on this trend, and once The Great Gatsby comes out in May it’ll go nuclear, mark my words.
If you invested in a tailored-classic-coat this season thinking it would be a timeless piece, prepare to be annoyed, because next season is all about a fairytale coat. Choose from cutesy and childish (the duffel, as seen at Saint Laurent); Grimm brothers hooded cape (Valentino); or Wicked Stepmother Fur (just about everywhere). And yes, I know you think you don’t care about trends but … get your coat properly cleaned before you put it away this spring, just in case you don’t see it again as soon as you think, OK? Please. For me?

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Womens boutique

December 9th, 2012 admin
Posted in Lisa Faulkner, Luxury, Womens boutique Tags:

A New York-style fashion show is coming to the Ambler Theater, hosted by women’s boutique Frox.
Jill Strickland, owner of Frox, said the semi-annual event began with 100 people in her store in Perkasie, expanded to the loft space above the Perkasie store, and now has grown large enough that they are glamorously taking over the Ambler Theatre on April 4.
Runway, red carpet, paparazzi, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres will just be the beginning of this fun girls night out. The fashion show itself will take place in the main theater, with real Frox customers modeling the clothes, ages 16 to 82.
Strickland said the models are all shapes, sizes, coloring, and every woman in attendance will be able to associate with one of the models. She said the night is very powerful and moving, with so many women looking stunning and feeling comfortable in their bodies.

Strickland said the theme this year is Andy Warhol’s flowers, and the bright and pastel colors, and the flower pattern will be seen in the decorations and in the clothing modeled throughout the evening. The store’s front window also has an art installation for the fashion show on the theme.
Strickland told Patch that she wanted to try to get the entire business community involved in the fashion show. Massa is guaranteeing fashion show attendees will be able to come in for dinner and get out in time for the cocktail hour, Trax is having a dinner special, swag bags will be given out to the first 50 women in the door, which will include items from Sew Vintage, Chamaeleon Boutique, Hatch, Free Shop, Frox, Pure Spa, Mercedes Benz of Fort Washington, and many more.
Strickland said the spring event will always be held in Ambler. A fall fashion show is also held, this year it is behind held at the Sellersville Theater.

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Irina Shayk

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Irina Shayk Wears Form Fitting Blue Dress to Fashion Event.

Russian model Irina Shayk showed off her svelte figure in a skin-tight blue dress at the Jeffery Fashion Cares event in New York on March 26.

The Sports Illustrated model wore a form-fitting baby blue collared dress and Christian Louboutin stiletto styled peep-toe heels, as shown in photos provided by the Daily Mail. She matched this daring look with a basic silver clutch.

Her long hair was pinned back in a messy bun. Her makeup was unexpectedly very fresh and natural with nude lips, dusty gold eye shadow, and soft pink blush on the apples of her cheeks.

Shayk’s makeup is perfect for an every day look because of its natural appeal. To get her nude lips, try Dior Addict Lipstick in the hue Beige Casual 222 or Tulle 214. These two colors are great for pale to olive skin tones and give the lips focus. To create a soft blush look, use Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in the color Dollface. This light pink blush has no parabens, sulfates, chemicals, or GMOs, so it won’t harm the skin or cause it to break out no matter how sensitive it is.

The Jeffery Fashion Cares event was held in order to benefit the lives of lesbians, gays, and transsexuals who are living with AIDS or are HIV positive. Irina Shayk joined the cause with other Sports Illustrated models such as Jessica White, Jessica Gomes, Anne V, and Lindsay Ellingson.

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Star

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery’s (no) costume drama in U.S. cover shoot.

Lady Grantham would certainly disapprove.

Normally seen in a demure Edwardian costume, Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery has shed her corset for this provocative photo shoot.

The British actress marked her arrival as a transatlantic star by posing nude with three stars of the American small screen.

The 30-year-old shares the front cover of May’s issue of Vanity Fair magazine with Claire Danes, 32, the star of Channel 4 hit Homeland as well as 45-year-old Julianna Margulies from The Good Wife and Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, 39.

Wearing only a diamond bracelet and necklace, Miss Dockery seems to have been banished to the foot of the bed while her glamorous television colleagues snuggle together under the sheets – although that does make her rather more prominent on the front cover of the magazine.

The actress has become a surprise star in the Stataes. on the back of her role as Downton Abbey’s Lady Mary Crawley.

With its gentle evocation of a bygone age, the ITV costume drama has been as big a hit across the Atlantic as in Britain, winning a Golden Globe for best mini-series in January and four Emmy awards.

The second series lured 4.2 million viewers to the PBS network, doubling the U.S. cable network’s average audience.

Miss Dockery has made the most of her new-found fame, making guest appearances on two of America’s biggest chat shows, The View, and The Late Show with David Letterman.The Essex-born star told Mr Letterman: ‘I come from a very working class background, so my family would’ve been downstairs in the past. People are often surprised to hear I’m not actually posh.’
Meanwhile her co-star Dan Stevens – who plays Matthew Crawley in the drama – looks set to secure future acting parts in America after signing with U.S. talent agency WME.

Joining Miss Dockery on the Vanity Fair bed, Claire Danes has become a familiar face on UK screens in American series Homeland.

The Romeo and Juliet actress stars alongside British actor Damian Lewis in the spy thriller, which airs on Channel 4 on Sunday evenings.

Writer Lord Fellowes, 62, recently admitted Downton Abbey’s American success has come as a surprise.
He said: ‘To me, all success is a delightful surprise, since one can absolutely never predict it. I was tremendously pleased when it became apparent that the show had gone down well in America.
‘What the Americans want to see is life in their drama. Life of all sorts: hard lives, easy lives, or lives which, like most of ours, are a mixture of the two.
‘If we are popular there, then I would suggest, again rather timidly, that we have managed to get some of that into the drawing rooms and sculleries of Downton Abbey.’ The May issue of Vanity Fair is on sale this Friday.

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Keni Valenti

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Keni Valenti is known as the “King of Vintage Couture” to celebrities, editors and design houses around the globe. Kate Moss is a customer, and designers like Marc Jacobs and Cavalli turn to him when they need fashion inspiration.

Valenti this month opened the city’s first fashion art gallery in Wynwood during the district’s Art Walk.

“It’s been my dream to open up a fashion museum and what better place than beautiful Miami,” said Valenti. “Everything is coming to Miami now. Hermes is coming here, Louis Vuitton. Do you see what Art Walk and Art Basel is like here? I want to be in the epicenter of it all.”

The gallery is at Northwest Second Avenue and 26th Street. Named after its owner, its only signage is a giant black-and-white mural of Yves Saint Laurent outside the gallery, representing the first designer in Valenti’s exhibit.

“I decided to go with Yves Saint Laurent first because I think Miami needs a little bit of him, don’tcha think? He was the last of the last. I met him in Paris in 1995. I was having dinner and he came and sat next to me with his Moroccan boy entourage and his little dogs. What really fascinated me was that the dogs sat at the table as people. They were served steaks and they ate with them and Yves Saint Laurent was laughing hysterically,” recalls Valenti.

The exhibit includes decades of Yves Saint Laurent apparel, photographs, lithographs, jewelry, hats and accessories — all from Valenti’s private collection, which includes more than 10,000 articles of couture designers.

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Fashion designer

April 4th, 2012 admin
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There’s Les Smoking, worn by James Franco on the cover of Candy Magazine in October 2010, the infamous Safari Suit and hat worn by the legendary Verushka in 1968, a few pieces from the Tryolean and Russian collection, power suits from the ‘80s that Valenti calls very “Ivana Trump.” And what he refers to as his showstopper: a 1959 Dior Couture evening gown from the Ballet Russes collection also shot for Italian Vogue by Steven Meisel.

“I’ve been collecting vintage for 30 years, but not regular vintage. I have the Rolls Royce of Vintage clothing. I have Balenciaga, I have Dior, I have YSL. Name a designer. I have it. I have so much YSL, I could’ve done a

show 10 times bigger than this, but this is the space I could afford right now.

“I’d love to one day open up a bigger space and really make it a museum and have tours where people and students can come and learn about the history of fashion because we are losing the art of making couture clothing. Today, things are pumped out like candy because fashion houses have to sell. So you can’t do something too intricate,” Valenti said. The exhibit, open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and by appointment, will be up for eight weeks. Then, he will feature Mr. Blackwell’s collection, followed by Halston and Bill Blass.

“I’m working on setting up lectures and having guest speakers come to teach people about the different exhibits,” said Valenti.

But for now, Valenti — who first started out as a fashion designer working for Forucci and Betsey Johnson before turning to styling stars and collecting vintage, wants to perfect his Spanish and enjoy Miami.

“I came to visit Miami for the first time in 2002, and all the New Yorkers were like, ‘What are you doing? Miami is over. Versace is dead and Madonna moved,’ but I didn’t listen. It’s paradise here. I love the people, the Cuban food and I’m working on my Spanish,” Valenti said.

Keni Valenti Gallery is at 2612 NW Second Ave., Miami. Visit www.kenivalenti for more information.

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Lisa Faulkner

April 4th, 2012 admin
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‘I was emotional, sad and just desperate’: Lisa Faulkner opens up about how her failed IVF treatment left her a walking mess.

She underwent three failed rounds of IVF and spent £35,000 trying to make her dream come true.Lisa Faulkner told the May 2012 issue of Red Magazine how traumatic and horrendous the whole process was on her and husband Chris Coghill.

She said: ‘When you’re faced with a chance of never carrying your own baby, all you want is to be a mother. It was a roller coaster. Every day I was injecting myself. ‘I put on two stone from drinking gallons of milk. I was a walking mess of hormones – crying all the time. I was emotional, sad and just desperate for it to work. It was horrendous.’ Lisa was left devastated after the injections failed to help her conceive and she couldn’t afford to pay any more money towards it.

She told the magazine that she didn’t think her relationship with Chris could have coped with any more strain.

She said: ‘We were strong, really strong, but it is so hard. In interviews, they would always ask about babies and I’d say, ‘Yes soon.’ ‘Then the next minute I’d be injecting myself in the toilet.’

Desolate and distraught, Lisa never considered adoption but her husband, who is nicknamed Stacks, was certain that they could do it.She told Red magazine: ‘It was Stacks who said, ‘We can do this.’ I was definitely more doubtful. ‘I think we underestimate how much we can love. I may not have carried Billie, but I love her absolutely. I couldn’t have made a better a little girl. She is my life.’

The actor lost all her confidence through IVF and adoption but found a new lease of life when she joined MasterChef.

She said: ‘So when I did ‘MasterChef’, I felt really small. I’d lost me. But something kicked in. At 38 years old, I discovered something else; something I was good at.’Lisa went on to win the TV show in 2010 and has now published her first cook book, Recipes from my Mother for my Daughter.Faulkner, who lost her mother to cancer when she was 16, said: ‘I didn’t mean to write a book with personal stories but it was like therapy for me. ‘It only dawned on me recently that I’m doing what my mum always dreamed of. I actually feel closer to her when I’m cooking.’

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Rose McGowan

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Now that’s an illusion! Rose McGowan makes Parisians blush by appearing to stroll topless in France.

It might be a terribly lazy cliche, but people often assume that Parisians are hard to shock.

It’s because they’re sophisticated, sexy, insouciant and brought the world the Folies Bergère and therefore burlesque and striptease.But even Parisians stared in horror when they saw 38-year-old American actress Rose McGowan apparently strolling topless outside the city’s Pompidou Centre.

For all intents and purposes, the brunette appeared to wearinng a pair of dunagrees with nothing under her top straps.But ah ha, Florence-born McGowan fooled them all as it was just the latest example of optically illusion clothing.

Kate Winslet is a massive fan, and managed to shave inches off her frame in Stella McCartney’s miracle dress – she owns the $3,900 in different colours.But Rose’s outfit doesn’t slim her, it simply makes it look like she’s had a wardrobe malfunction.But why would anybody, least of all a celebrity want to look like they were flashing acres of illicit flesh?Well, it’s a canny way to get attention… but we’re sure Rose just liked the outfit.Rose has been filming the movie thriller Napa, in which she plays a sheriff opposite Sean Austin.Rose’s lips looked full, and a lovely hue of.. rose.She teamed the outfit with low metallic heels.

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Demi Lovato

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Ain’t no sunshine: Demi Lovato goes sightseeing in London wearing a pair of platform heels in the rain.

After a few days of glorious sunshine in England, and with a hose pipe ban and a national drought warning, Demi Lovato picked the wrong day to venture into London.The 19-year-old was all smiles as she went sightseeing in London, but her day was dampened by some rainfall, earlier today.The Disney channel star wasn’t exactly dressed for an excursion around the capital as she chose to wear a pair of platform heels.

Demi was dressed in true rock and roll fashion and wore a leather jacket with a white blouse and black trousers.

The Camp Rock actor also wore a pair of sky-high Louboutin platform heels, as she stood in the centre of Piccadilly Circus.After taking some photographs for her personal collection, Lovato then posed next to a black cab before taking her entourage onto Buckingham Palace.She also checked out the House of Parliament and Big Ben, as well as taking a close look at Downing Street.

Despite being a huge star in the States, the This is Me singer was not besieged by screaming fans at all, and was even able to be filmed by her own crew without drawing too much attention to herself.The American singer-songwriter saw all the picture postcard sights that the West End had to offer and tried not to let the April showers ruin her adventure.Demi later paid a visit to the historic Trafalgar Square but had to take a break from her fun schedule to concentrate on some work.The star is in the UK to promote her new album, Unbroken, and she signed copies of the CD for fans at HMV on Oxford Street.She will be hoping that her third studio album does better than her previous two efforts, Don’t Forget, and Here We Go Again, which reached positions 192 and 199, respectively in the UK charts.

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Runways of Russia

April 4th, 2012 admin
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FROM THE RUNWAYS OF RUSSIA.

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, the biggest fashion event in Eastern Europe, will once again present the collections of leading Russian designers, talented debutantes, and foreign fashion houses.

From Wednesday to Sunday, the leading designers of post-Soviet fashion will present their new collections on the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia Fall 2012 runways.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia will be featuring the collections of: Tatiana Parfenova, Viva Vox, Bessarion, Dasha Gauser, Yulia Nikolaeva, Sultanna Frantsuzova, Khaka Ma, Tegin, Borodulin’s, Leonid Alexeev, Poustovit, Basharatyan V, along with new and young designers, Sh.O (Shikhova Olga), Ruban, Yanina Vekhteva, Maria Golubeva, and many more. Foreign participation will be also be present; including designers hailing from the United Kingdom, Poland, Turkey, Portugal, and Peru.

For Russian fashion this season will be really symbolic and major, because this spring Slava Zaitsev celebrates the 50th anniversary of his creative work. The designer became not only a legend of Russian fashion, but also the first Russian designer of the second half of last century. Today, the designer is still energetic and full of revolutionary ideas. At the event he will show his new collection which will mark the beginning of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia Autumn-Winter/2012-2013. The entire first day of Fashion Week will be devoted to Slava Zaitsev.

Here are some designs from Slava Zaitsev.

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Olympics

April 4th, 2012 admin
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REFILE-Olympics-Red Square retailer opens in East London.

Russian retail group Bosco, which owns Moscow’s famous GUM department store, has opened a store in the shadow of London’s Olympic Stadium, its first venture into western Europe.

The fashion and sportswear company has strong Olympic connections. It will supply clothing for the Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish teams at this summer’s Games in London and is a sponsor of the 2014 Winter Games, which Russia will host in Sochi and when all the officials will wear its designs.

Company founder Mikhail Kusnirovich said he had long harboured ambitions to expand his family-owned company beyond its core markets of Russia and Ukraine.

“We want to use the London Olympic Games to start to be not global but more international,” he told reporters at an event to mark the opening of the store.

The company has taken a 10-year lease on the store in the Westfield Stratford City shopping mall, which opened last year and has brought luxury brands to what had been one of London’s poorest areas.

Kusnirovich said Bosco, which now has 65 stores, planned to expand into Spanish cities Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Rio di Janeiro in Brazil, the 2016 Olympic host. He is also targeting Europe’s affluent Alpine ski resorts.

The Olympics are increasingly embracing the faster- developing global economies, with China having hosted the previous summer Games in Beijing in 2008.

The sportswear market has been dominated by U.S company Nike and German rivals Adidas <ADSGn .DE> and Puma , but Bosco sees room for smaller niche players.

“We are not direct competitors but we want to be successful ourselves,” he said, adding the company relied more on catching the eye with multi-coloured outfits rather than brand logos.

GUM, the retail landmark on Red Square, is the best known of Bosco’s 65 stores. It has been adding shops at a rate of around 15 each year.

Bosco had sales of around 600 million euros ($800 million) last year, up 24 percent on the previous year, and is looking to maintain annual growth of 20 percent, Kusnirovich said.

The burly, bearded Kusnirovich said he had no plans to surrender control of a company he set up during the dying days of the Soviet Union in 1991.

“A lot of Russian companies have big ambitions to go to the stock exchange, but it’s not my way for the moment,” he said.

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Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia (MBFW Russia) season fall-winter 2012-2013 closed with the international fashion season. The biggest fashion event in Eastern Europe took place on 21-25 March in the Congress Centre of the World Trade Centre at Krasnaya Presnya. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia presented more than 70 new collections of the best designers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Turkey, Poland, Peru and Great Britain.

Innovations were also presented by Fashion week partners – leaders in different business fields. Among the partners of Fashion Week Russia are automobile concern Mercedes-Benz (Title Partner of Fashion Week), Maybelline New York and L’Oréal Professionnel, logistics brand DHL, hotel ‘Radisson Royal, Moscow’, ASUS and Canon.

Automobile concern Mercedes-Benz is the title partner of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. Fashion is the main communicative platform for Mercedes-Benz in the world. German autoconcern supports all the leading fashion weeks, from New York and Berlin to Beijing and Tokyo.

This season Madrid joined the ‘family’ of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks. Apart from that, in 2012 the company is celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the classic SL-Class roadster. The renovated SL became the flagship of the fall-winter season at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia and Maybelline New York unite the urge for innovations and the ability to determine trends. This season it was possible to watch new make-up trends forming live. On the Maybelline NY channel on YouTube online video clips appeared covering the backstage and how, with the help of the rich colour palette of the brand’s products, vivid images are created the for the runway.

During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia a show took place of the collection by Elena Trotsko, the winner of the young designers contest ‘Yellow is the colour of speed’, organized by DHL in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia in the autumn of 2011. Her newest collection includes several models created especially for DHL in the style of the company’s logo.

Another beauty expert and partner of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia is L’Oréal Professionnel. The unique experience of the brand, collaboration with outstanding creative personalities and their ability to form trends all allow the company to determine fashion every year in coiffure art.

Hair styles at the runways are an integral part of the looks and L’Oréal Professionnel, being the official stylist of the biggest fashion event in Eastern Europe, professionally created the splendid style of the models, perfectly adding the final touch to fashion collections of the leading Russian and foreign designers.

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Russian girlfriend

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Adam Levine says goodbye to Russian girlfriend.

“Voice” coach Adam Levine and Russian model Anne Vyalitsyna have called it quits after two years of relationship, according to the Peoples Magazine. The couple found themselves caught in a whirlwind of fights that resulted in the split. However, their reps reported that the couple would treasure each other forever.

“Adam and I have decided to separate in an amicable and supportive manner. We still love and respect each other as friends. I wish him all the best,” the blond Victoria’s Secret model said in a statement.

The couple had instantly clicked when they first met each other back in 2010 at a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue party that was held in Las Vegas. Reps of Levine, 33, and the Russian-born model, Vyalitsyna, 26, told the US Weekly at the time that Levine “will always love and cherish her.”

Levine sung Vyalitsyna a love song in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show held in November last year and the couple even posed nude together for the November issue of Vogue Russia. However, the pair got into a terrible fight soon after they celebrated the New Year, breaking up their relationship. The two were seen together again in January during their courtship on the red carpet. This time, however, they appeared to be done for good after Vyalitsyna made the news official on Monday, making the incredibly eligible bachelor, Adam Levine, single again.

Levine’s name has been stringed with many hot actresses in the past, including Jessica Simpsons, Cameron Diaz and Natalie Portman. However, after meeting Vyalitsyna, he appeared to be ready for settling down in life. While Vyalitsyna told that their breakup was a friendly one, Levine still might be going through a tough time dealing with it.

But not to worry, because fellow “Voice” judge Blake Shelton might always be there to lend him a shoulder to cry on. Only a month back, when his break up was not even official, Shelton told MTV that he had a die hard crush on Levine and desperately wanted to kiss him. “All I have to say is, it’s true: I have a man crush on Adam,” Shelton admitted last month. “It blows me away people can pick up on that just by watching that on television. I want to kiss him. I want to kiss him so bad. I don’t care if it’s mutual or not.”

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I Love Fashion

April 4th, 2012 admin
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During Russia Fashion Week, FashionTV debuted the “I Love Fashion” collection with a stunning show that included a beautiful spy, an amazing top model, and loads of passion on the runway.

In 1997, FashionTV became the first television channel to network programs solely dealing with fashion and lifestyle. This season, FashionTV has decided to take those same two components in order to create one magnificent fashion collection.

The world’s first “I Love Fashion” collection was launched during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia F/W 12/13. The collection was specifically designed in order to give FashionTV fans across the globe a chance to don the clothes they’re used to seeing only on screen.

The “I Love Fashion” collection showcased various silhouettes in seasonal hues of purples and greens, along with an array of sexy and black pieces.

The runway show began with quite a surprise, as the beautiful Russian Spy, Anna Chapman, emerged in sexy, tight black pants and a gorgeous, cropped, black jacket. The show continued with various other striking models and remarkable designs.

Finally, top model Maria Mogsolova strutted on the runway as she closed the show clad in one of the collections’ most stunning designs.

Now, you have the opportunity to not only catch all the latest trends on FashionTV, but also the chance to finally wear the most gorgeous styles on your body…

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Woman Protests

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Woman Protests Sentence With Hunger

A Yabloko Democratic Party member went on dry hunger strike Monday after being sentenced to 10 days in prison for taking part in a Strategy 31 demo on Saturday.

Maria Kozhevatova, who was holding an anti-Putin poster, was detained at the unauthorized demo in defense of freedom of assembly. Strategy 31 demos have been held regularly in St. Petersburg since January 2010.

Magistrate Judge Alexei Kuznetsov of Judicial District 21 sentenced her to 10 days in prison for failure to obey a police officer’s lawful orders and fined her 900 rubles ($30) for violating the rules on holding public assemblies Monday.

Kuznetsov had previously sentenced Strategy 31 protesters to terms from one to 15 days in custody on the same charges, but some of his sentences were overruled by courts of appeal as contradicting both Russian law and Russia’s international human rights obligations.

Female protesters had previously been arrested, held at police precincts and fined, but had never been sentenced to terms in custody on such charges.

Anna Dudnikova, an activist with the preservationist group Okhtinskaya Duga who was a defense witness for Kozhevatova, described her arrest and sentence as “absolutely unlawful.”

“Why she got those 10 days in prison cannot be explained logically,” Dudnikova said.

“Kozhevatova held a classic one-person demo (which does not require any previous authorization under Russian law) — without shouting, chanting or saying anything at all.

“She stood alone with a placard. A policeman approached her and asked, ‘A one-person demo?’ ‘Yes, a one-person demo.’ They took down her name and address, without objecting to anything she was doing and went away. Then, after some time, other policemen in helmets grabbed her under the arms without any explanation and dragged her onto a bus. It’s a crystal clear situation.”

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Dudnikova

April 4th, 2012 admin
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According to Dudnikova, the police later wrote in their reports that Kozhevatova was shouting slogans and refused to obey police orders several times.

“This is completely untrue,” she said.

Later that same day, Kuznetsov also sentenced Yury Melnichuk, a member of the Party of People’s Liberty (Parnas), to 10 days in prison.

Dudnikova, who was also a witness for Melnichuk, described the sentence as “ridiculous.”

“The hearing on charges of participating in an unsanctioned rally was postponed until a video recording of the event has been supplied, but he was sentenced to 10 days for failing to obey orders to stop participating in the rally,” she said.

“This means that it has not yet been proved that he participated in an unsanctioned rally, but he has already been sentenced for refusing to stop participating. I have no idea how this can be explained from a legal standpoint.”

“In reality, there was no rally at all, it was rather a series of attempts to hold a one-person demo that was immediately shut down.”

About 20 people were arrested at the demo. Olga Kurnosova, the local chair of the United Civil Front (OGF), was sentenced to one day in custody, but was released soon after as she had spent time at a police precinct before being sentenced.

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Global Fashion Awards

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Acclaimed U.S. fashion designer Thom Browne, who was named Designer of the Year 2008 by GQ Magazine and the Most Influential Designer of Men’s Fashion by Global Fashion Awards in 2010 is the headliner of the upcoming Avrora Fashion Week that kicks off on April 9 at the Manezh Central Exhibition hall.

Browne has made an international reputation for his flawlessly cut men’s tailoring. His collections win rave reviews far beyond New York.

“The Paris men’s shows couldn’t have found a better ending than Thom Browne’s Punks and Jocks, an exhilarating, visually exciting parade of chic renegades,” reads a review in Hint Fashion Magazine from January this year.

“To a solemn soundtrack of Prokofiev, models zipped through the grand gallery of the Musée de la Mineralogie wearing studded, scalpel-cut jackets and multi-zippered kilts. Spikes were a recurring adornment on shoulders, sleeves, face masks (a trend), and elbow and knee patches.”

Innovation is at the heart of the fifth edition of the AFW. The event is vigorously pushing geographical borders and stylistic boundaries. For the first time in the event’s short but dramatic history, its program will feature presentations of more than 40 collections of fashion maestros from Europe, America and Asia.

Avrora Fashion Week will feature a mixture of fashion shows by Russia’s leading designers in the caliber of Leonid Alexeev and Larissa Pogoretskaya as well as up-and-coming fashion talent represented by the aspiring local fashion brands some2some, Cat’s Production, Za-Za and Shlitsa brand from Moscow.

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Russian fashion

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Midnight on April 11 will see a mysterious event at the Manezh Exhibition Hall. Tatyana Parfyonova, one of Russia’s premier fashion designers, whose creations celebrate femininity, tenderness and ultra-romanticism, will present her new collection. Titled The Twelfth Night, the collection makes an obvious reverence to Shakespeare’s eponymous comedy. Expect metaphorical solutions, a dramatic setting, mystery and an avalanche of theatricality.

The organizers of Avrora Fashion Week see the event, which was launched in May 2010, as eventually becoming a platform for fashion designers wishing to make contacts with retailers, a promotion of Russian fashion among potential customers and, ultimately, as an attempt to revive the long-defunct local textile industry — one of the first victims of the failed economic reforms of the perestroika years.

The rapid development of AFW has already won the event a place within the top three largest and most important fashion weeks in Eastern Europe, organizers said.

St. Petersburg and Russia have their own fashion labels and there is no shortage of talented designers, but there is almost no domestic textile industry to support them. Russian fashion is made using foreign fabrics, foreign buttons, and foreign zippers, with the exception of some linen items and fur coats.

In other words, the city has a wealth of designer talent but lacks the industry to support those designers. In order for local stores to stock up with Russian fashion items, the country’s designers need to be able to manufacture locally and establish secure relations with local retailers.

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The Avrora Fashion Week

April 4th, 2012 admin
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The Avrora Fashion Week will run through April 14.

Running almost concurrently with AFW is St. Petersburg’s veteran fashion event, Defile on the Neva. Running from April 5 through April 8, Defile on the Neva will open with a gala fashion show offering a retrospective look at the event’s history. This spring’s program showcases pieces by a number of the country’s fashion icons such as Polina Raudson, Irina Tantsurina, Katya Anderzhanova, Tatyana Gordienko, Stas Lopatkin and Natalya Soldatova. Most of the shows will take place at the Weavers Exhibition Space (Tkachi) located at 60 Obvodny canal embankment.

Defile’s long-time ally, Tatyana Kotegova, one of the grande dames of Russian fashion, will also present her collection as part of the event.

Since its foundation in 2000, Defile on the Neva has been an invitation-only affair. The easiest way to get a ticket used to be by shopping at the Defile boutique, where one could shop for any item seen on the event’s catwalk. The boutique has since closed down, and now, regular customers of the leading local designers that typically present shows at the event have the best chance of getting a ticket through their local stores.

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Anna Chapman

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Sexy Russian spy Anna Chapman nearly bedded Obama staffer: FBI chief.

Glamorous Russian spy Anna Chapman came close to seducing an unnamed member of President Barack Obama’s inner circle before intelligence shut down her circle of spooks, a top U.S. intelligence official has claimed in a new British documentary.FBI counter-intelligence chief Frank Figliuzzi claims the red-headed spy got “close enough to disturb” U.S. officials, he said in a BBC documentary.”We were becoming very concerned,” Figliuzzi said. “They were getting close enough to a sitting U.S. cabinet member that we thought we could no longer allow this to continue.”The honey trap spurred the FBI to arrest 10 people connected to the spy ring in June 2010, shortly before Chapman was deported.

Chapman, 30, has risen to fame since she was deported from the U.S. in a Cold War-style swap in July 2010.She’s posed in lingerie, attended a Russian space launch and sang patriotic songs with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

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Kate Upton

April 4th, 2012 admin
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Who needs to talk when you look like that! Bikini-clad Kate Upton speaks just seven words in new ad to plug American satellite provider.

One could be forgiven for having to watch the video over and over again to catch what Kate Upton is talking about.As all eyes are likely to be on the 19-year-old model’s figure as she rolls around on a beach in a new advertisement.The Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Edition covergirl speaks just seven words to plug American satellite broadcast provider, DirecTV.

But that’s probably all that was needed.

The rising star can be seen sitting in a blue floral bikini on white sand, crystal blue water behind her, staring seductively at the camera.

She says: ‘Go get DirectTV. Right now. I’ll wait.’

She then strokes her hands through her blonde hair and playfully runs and hides behind a tree.It’s hard to believe that just last year, Kate’s friends staged an intervention, encouraging her diet after she ‘gained too much weight’ over summer.

A friend told the New York Post: ‘She’s not your typical model… She will eat anything. She’s not assuming. She’s not into herself. She’s not very affected.’The football fan’s laid-back approach started to show, the newspaper said – and pounds piled on, in part because of her refreshingly healthy attitude to eating.

Extra gym sessions were all it took to hone her body into readiness for the coveted role, the hard work paying off, it appears.

The Post reports that the model admitted to her sweet tooth at club Crimson in New York. She said: ‘I never deprive myself. If I’m craving something once a week, then I’ll go have it… Ice cream or whatever, I just eat the foods I like.’Her workout regimen keeps her in shape, and she praised her personal trainer for her figure.

‘I have to give credit to my trainer. He definitely kept me motivated in staying in shape… I’ve always been naturally curvy, but of course I had to get used to being in the public eye’, she said.

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Kim Kardashian

April 4th, 2012 admin
Posted in Kim Kardashian Tags:

Back on the treadmill: Kim Kardashian heads to the gym after her fast food slip up.

She was spotted yesterday indulging in a calorie-laden fast food snack at Wendy’s burger chain.But Kim made sure to limit the damage today as she headed to the gym near her Los Angeles home. The 31-year-old reality show star showed off her curvy figure in a clinging black gym vest and leggings over a neon yellow sports bra.She seemed unusually shy about her famous figure, holding an oversized fringed cream Chanel handbag in front of her as she headed to her workout session.

She tied her long dark hair up in a loose ponytail and wore oversized aviator sunglasses while clutching her Blackberry. The reality show star looked extremely focussed on the task in hand, striding towards the gym. She even tweeted: ‘Let’s workout!!!! I am in need!’ at 9am before heading out.Kim recently admitted she is working out up to six  times a week to keep her famous figure in shape.

She also tweeted that along with her workout regime, she has been changing her diet for the better.

Kim wrote via Twitter: ‘I’ve been trying to change my bad eating habits – slow process but its working. I feel so much better! Sugar, dairy & gluten free. HARD!’She added: ‘I will have sweets every once in a while & dairy but this is a huge step for me! Its a lifestyle change but I’m loving it so far!’Despite this, the glamorous star seemed to be looking forward to her Wendy’s fast food, which she bought at the Dominican Republic airport yesterday. The star helped herself to ketchup after ordering some soft drinks and a fast food snack.

She then strolled through the airport brandishing the bags of food, joined by her younger brother Rob and sister Kourtney’s boyfriend Scott Disick. Kim looked ultra glamorous in a flowing pale pink midi-dress which she teamed with a belt and cream jacket.

With her full make-up, she cut a glamorous figure with her long dark hair in a pretty braided style.

Kim has clearly been enjoying her family holiday, which was of course filmed for her family’s reality show.She wrote: ‘Fun times in the Dominican Republic with the whole family!’Kim also used her Twitter account to hint at another family first – a music video.

She wrote:  ‘U better believe the whole family shot a new music video while in the Dominican!!! Its our new family tradition! Can’t wait to share it soon.’But Kim was clearly tired after the sunshine-filled trip, with Scott posting a photograph of her fast asleep on the plane home, along with the caption ‘Kim’s out!’Meanwhile, Kim had managed to avoid a protest by models Joanna Krupa and Katie Cleary outside the family’s Calabasas clothing store DASH today.

The models planned to deliver a petition signed by 140,000 people demanding that the Kardashians stop selling fur in their stores and online.In a statement released to Radar, Krupa wrote: ‘One of the most influential families in the entertainment industry that could help give animals a voice on a large scale are the Kardashians.

‘As a fashion-forward family with their clothing line in stores all over the US, they have the power to influence millions of people around the world.’Kim was infamously flour-bombed by a woman believed to be an animal rights activist at an event last month.

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Roberto Cavalli

August 24th, 2011 admin
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Luxury, wealth, colors and elegance come together in a fall collection for women Roberto Cavalli. If you’re tired of the monotony, you will surely delight in amazing styles and mind-blowing combination, presented the famous fashion house.

The world of high fashion is always surprising us unexpected insights and stylistic interpretations that exceed all expectations and set new standards. Thanks to ingenious solutions fashionable and fantastic combinations of autumn collection of Roberto Cavalli is the dream of every woman.

Women’s clothing, created by world-renowned luxury brand, contrary to popular belief that a fall wardrobe rarely boasts an abundance of bright colors and elegance. The fashion house Roberto Cavalli proposes to abandon stereotypes and plunge into the world of luxury and splendor. You can select the day and stunning outfits, and elegant evening gowns.

Obviously, the animalistic designs will be popular until the end of the year. They turned out to be surprisingly versatile and eye-catching. Emphasize the wild side of the female character will be very easy. Autumn Collection Roberto Cavalli – a combination of the spirit of the urban jungle and bold sexuality. A popular brand proves that sometimes is to break the rules of style, and offers a new perspective on femininity. Only a very confident woman can truly appreciate the dress to the floor with provocative cuts.

In the catalog of Roberto Cavalli are slightly more conservative and women’s dresses, but they are anything but modest. Seductive styles, sequins, gold inlay and striking accessories make these dresses incredibly sexy and sophisticated.

Another key collections – the use of fur. Along with the animal painting patterns, fur details and full fur create a luxurious and glamorous image.

The luxury brand does not disappoint and in accessories. Animalistic patterns and fur accents, unique jewelry, beautiful handbags, long scarves and high heels – an integral part of the image of the modern fashionista.

The uniqueness and high standards attract women’s attention to a famous brand for many years. No doubt, this season, Roberto Cavalli will not let his fans.

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Reebok

August 24th, 2011 admin
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Pursuing fitness, yoga, simple running, our feet are wearing shoes. And it is very important that this shoe was good. In the market very much choice of footwear, but over the years this demand, around the world, enjoys shoes Reebok.
History of Footwear Reebok, takes us to the distant 1895. This year, JW Foster and Sons started to manufacture shoes and began selling them throughout the United Kingdom. They were quite successful athletes at the Summer Olympics in 1924, but the general public does not pay due attention to the shoes.

In 1958, JW Foster and Sons decided to create a company to produce shoes Reebok, which means African Gazelle. This name they wanted to show that their footwear is as stylish and elegant and most importantly, fast. But this time the shoes Reebok uses a small demand.

Only the 1979 World Expo in Chicago, Paul Fireman said the brand Reebok. While Paul Fireman worked supplier of sporting goods. Wasting no time, they enter into a contract for the supply of shoes Reebok in the United States. While their price was $ 60, they were the most expensive on the market.

In 1982, the company took a step forward, presenting the first sneaker for women than captured significant market share.
Then in 1989, Reebok, provided shoes for athletes involved in basketball. In the footwear used an air bladder, the pump was the language of the shoe, when clicked bubble inflated and the shoes fit snugly to the ankle. These shoes were $ 170, which is 2 times the price of other sneakers. But despite the high price, Reebok shoes became a hit. And for 4 years the company has sold more than 20 million pairs worldwide.

Reebok shoes are extremely popular, which contributes to its transition from a number of sports in everyday. A huge number of sales has contributed to the advertising. Then any athlete will enter the game in running shoes Reebok, it will remove any movie where the main character wears shoes Reebok.

In 1996 and 2000, enters into a contract with Reebok NBA Allen Iverson rookie. This young, successful player becomes the face of the company, which contributes to an even greater demand for the brand.
In the recent 2005 Reebok introduced the new ATR Pump. This shoe is different from the original pump so that the pump is located on the outer ankle boots. In 2005, the game superstar, NBA Allen Iverson and Yao Ming showed the world ATR Pump. In addition to Iverson and Ming, the new shoes were such superstars as Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Jerome Williams.
Soon Reebok sold ATR Pump Adidas-Salomon for $ 3.78 billion. These two brands have decided to unite and overthrow the pedestal Nike.
Reebok and Adidas go hand in hand toward his dream to conquer the world. And not far off the day when they will again be popular all over the world.

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Woman

August 24th, 2011 admin
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Everyone in life there are bad days. In the year of 365 days, and it is natural that they can not all be successful. But if your life more bad days than good, talk to someone about it. In case you just a little sad, I suggest 10 simple ways to make your day great!

1. Full breakfast

In the morning the woman the body needs energy charge – proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the complex, plus a little sentimental as motivation not to give up breakfast the next morning. Get up early to catch to cook a full breakfast. (Incidentally, the early rise reduces the risk of depression).
2. Sufficient water

In developed countries, woman have the opportunity to drink pure water all year round, so that it does not take sin. The cold water speeds up metabolism, and warm water with honey and lemon – the best sedative.
3. Brush your teeth

After each meal you brush your teeth. It is not only a clear distinction between meals, but also make pleasant communication with others. In addition, radiant smile is the best female ornament!
4. Recite the names of people who speak

Being tired and frustrated, we tend to depersonalize people. Uttering aloud the names during the conversation, you immediately feel a close relationship with the interlocutor, and support from his side.
5. Do everything for 5-plus

Awards and Recognition destroy motivation. You should not do something for others. Do it all for my own pleasure.
6. Sympathizes

Each are bad days, and some have not reached the level of emotional maturity to cope with stress. Rejoice that you are emotionally balanced enough to fight the bad days.
7. Think big

Will what is happening now be set tomorrow? And next week? In the next year? After your death? No? Then and now it does not matter.
8. Tour

Even moderate physical activity for the production of endorphins zhenschinesodeystvuet – the hormone of happiness, which will help you relax and unwind.
9. Excellent lunch

This point is especially important if you missed breakfast. Soups, salads, sandwiches – all will be welcome.
10. Learn to say NO

In pursuit of the ideal may be difficult to refuse someone’s request. When you’re not in the mood, nothing can be worse than the extra commitment.

Feel that the days of the failure capture your life? – Try to cope with them using my tips, add in your world the joy and good mood!

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Russian women

July 26th, 2011 admin
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Nowadays, Russian women have become extremely popular amongst Western men seeking to expand their options away from the depressing as well as limited choices of women available in developed countries. In fact, such international unions are more advantageous than domestic marriages, lots of men hop on the current trend. Indeed, now it seems like crowds of Western men are concerned in finding Russian women.

The primary thing that Western men must do is to educate themselves about some ways for finding foreign brides. There are many good Russian women packed with helpful info on this topic for Western men to reference. They need to spend some time overlooking these Russian women. When men have started to learn about the international dating process, they should concentrate on the best international dating web sites to choose the best Russian woman.

A next tip for Western men to stick to is when they link dating sites, they must spend an apt amount of time and make a great profile about themselves. Western men should keep in mind they are selling themselves in this profile. Thus, they have a restricted amount of space and time to accomplish this goal. The major target a Western man needs to look to attain is to attract the Russian women he is concerned in with the profile blowing such a lovely lady out of the water.

Finally, when he has performed the steps mentioned, he should go to Russia, meet this girl, spend the time learning each other, and narrow down the area to the lady without which he cannot live.

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Hello world!

July 26th, 2011 admin
Posted in Uncategorized

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

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