Carey, Timberlake among Fashion Rocks performers (AP)

NEW YORK - Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Rihanna will perform at the fifth annual Fashion Rocks concert celebrating the relationship between music and fashion.

The event will be held Sept. 5 at Radio City Music Hall, and will air in a two-hour special on CBS the following night. Proceeds will benefit Stand Up to Cancer, a program established by the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise money for cancer research.

Also performing: Keith Urban, Chris Brown, Kid Rock, Fergie, Lil Wayne and the Black Eyed Peas.

"Fashion Rocks uniquely celebrates the intersection of two of the most sexy cultural paradigms: fashion and music. This year, we have a spectacular lineup of talent and performances that will take the show to a whole new level," Richard Beckman, president of Conde Nast Media Group, which produces the event, said Tuesday.

Fashion Rocks magazine will also return for its annual issue. The magazine, helmed by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, will accompany the September edition of 16 Conde Nast magazines.

___

On the Net:

http://www.fashionrocks.com/

Menswear goes loose and easy on NY fashion runways (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If the latest in mens fashion on display this week in New York is any indication, men should have lots of free time, attend chic parties and dabble in arty jobs where they can wear whatever they want.

Baggy shirts, wrinkled T-shirts, campus-throwback sweaters and boat shoes ruled at New Yorks nascent Mens Runway. The two-day event is designed to give menswear a spotlight rather than getting lost in the frenzy of womenswear shows that dominate New Yorks spring and fall Fashion Week.

The looks at Mens Runway were aimed at people who aspire to a sophisticated, casual look and lifestyle but dont necessarily have one, fashion experts said.

The looks bear little relation to a real world laden with rising prices, job insecurity or weighty debt, they added.

"Its the way men want to be, rather than need to be," said Candace Corlett, president of WSL Strategic Retail retail experts. "Its just like women. In fashion, they want to be much more glamorous than they are or need to be.

"While most men may be wearing suits or jackets to work and paving the driveway on weekends, for one brief moment they want to be in designer leisure wear," she said.

Toying with those aspirations, Conference of Birds designer Andrew Holden tossed together casual, business and formal in relaxed layers.

He topped pajama-style trousers with a loosened bow tie and overcoat and mixed tuxedo shirts with suit jackets and shorts.

Shirts were only half-tucked by New York-based label Nicholas K, which went outdoorsy, with rolled-up denim shorts, canvas jackets, ponchos and artfully knotted scarves.

CASUAL FRIDAYS ARE GONE

Charles G Bailey mens collection opted for a collegiate look, with V-neck sweaters tucked into shorts, muted plaids and bowling shirts with contrasting cuffs and collars.

Nary a suit was to be found, nor a sock in sight.

While the lines were very casual, they were realistic, wearable and marketable, said Robert Burke, head of luxury consultants Robert Burke Associates.

"Difficult economic times have made for more realistic and more sellable clothes," Burke said. "There was a great deal here for buyers to put into stores."

David Wolfe, creative director at Doneger Group retail consultants, was not convinced and said he fears some designers are missing the mark.

"For fashion to be successful, it has to be a reflection of the society that wears it," he said. "The things that are selling very well are not cutting-edge, casual sloppy stuff."

Tailored, dressier menswear is selling well, a la the popular "Mad Men" stylized series about the advertising industry on AMC cable television, Wolfe said.

"Casual Friday has come and gone," he said.

Mens Runway kicked off with four shows in January, and this round, showing looks for Spring 09, featured six shows on Monday and Tuesday. Other designers showing were Orthodox, Canadas Obakki and Andrew Buckler.

(Editing by Philip Barbara)

Carey, Timberlake among Fashion Rocks performers (AP)

NEW YORK - Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Rihanna will perform at the fifth annual Fashion Rocks concert celebrating the relationship between music and fashion.

The event will be held Sept. 5 at Radio City Music Hall, and will air in a two-hour special on CBS the following night. Proceeds will benefit Stand Up to Cancer, a program established by the Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise money for cancer research.

Also performing: Keith Urban, Chris Brown, Kid Rock, Fergie, Lil Wayne and the Black Eyed Peas.

"Fashion Rocks uniquely celebrates the intersection of two of the most sexy cultural paradigms: fashion and music. This year, we have a spectacular lineup of talent and performances that will take the show to a whole new level," Richard Beckman, president of Conde Nast Media Group, which produces the event, said Tuesday.

Fashion Rocks magazine will also return for its annual issue. The magazine, helmed by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, will accompany the September edition of 16 Conde Nast magazines.

___

On the Net:

http://www.fashionrocks.com/

Yves Saint Laurent's art collection up for auction (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) - The private art collection of French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge has been put up for auction and will be sold in February 2009, auction house Christies said on Wednesday.

Saint Laurent, one of the leading figures in 20th century French fashion, died in Paris in June at the age of 71.

Contacted by Reuters, Christies, which will organize the auction in partnership with auction house Pierre Berge and Associates, said it would announce the items to be sold at the end of September.

The auction house declined to estimate how much the collection was likely to fetch until those items had been identified, but experts have put the figure between 300 and 500 million euros, (472 million-787 million).

Sources close to Christies said the figure was "not wrong."

French daily Le Figaro said the collection features several hundred pieces including Renaissance jewelry, paintings by masters such as Picasso and Matisse, and manuscripts of the works of French authors Gustave Flaubert and Andre Gide.

Berge, who had amassed the collection with Saint Laurent over a period of almost 40 years, told Le Figaro he "couldnt carry out the sale until after his (Saint Laurents) death," adding that "the page has turned."

Antique dealer Alexis Kugel, who told Le Figaro his relation with the collectors was the closest a dealer could have with his clients, said: "For Yves Saint Laurent art was a vital need, indispensable for his inspiration, like water to survive. It soothed his depressive character."

(Reporting by Joseph Tandy; Editing by Francois Murphy and Catherine Evans)

Menswear goes loose and easy on NY fashion runways (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If the latest in mens fashion on display this week in New York is any indication, men should have lots of free time, attend chic parties and dabble in arty jobs where they can wear whatever they want.

Baggy shirts, wrinkled T-shirts, campus-throwback sweaters and boat shoes ruled at New Yorks nascent Mens Runway. The two-day event is designed to give menswear a spotlight rather than getting lost in the frenzy of womenswear shows that dominate New Yorks spring and fall Fashion Week.

The looks at Mens Runway were aimed at people who aspire to a sophisticated, casual look and lifestyle but dont necessarily have one, fashion experts said.

The looks bear little relation to a real world laden with rising prices, job insecurity or weighty debt, they added.

"Its the way men want to be, rather than need to be," said Candace Corlett, president of WSL Strategic Retail retail experts. "Its just like women. In fashion, they want to be much more glamorous than they are or need to be.

"While most men may be wearing suits or jackets to work and paving the driveway on weekends, for one brief moment they want to be in designer leisure wear," she said.

Toying with those aspirations, Conference of Birds designer Andrew Holden tossed together casual, business and formal in relaxed layers.

He topped pajama-style trousers with a loosened bow tie and overcoat and mixed tuxedo shirts with suit jackets and shorts.

Shirts were only half-tucked by New York-based label Nicholas K, which went outdoorsy, with rolled-up denim shorts, canvas jackets, ponchos and artfully knotted scarves.

CASUAL FRIDAYS ARE GONE

Charles G Bailey mens collection opted for a collegiate look, with V-neck sweaters tucked into shorts, muted plaids and bowling shirts with contrasting cuffs and collars.

Nary a suit was to be found, nor a sock in sight.

While the lines were very casual, they were realistic, wearable and marketable, said Robert Burke, head of luxury consultants Robert Burke Associates.

"Difficult economic times have made for more realistic and more sellable clothes," Burke said. "There was a great deal here for buyers to put into stores."

David Wolfe, creative director at Doneger Group retail consultants, was not convinced and said he fears some designers are missing the mark.

"For fashion to be successful, it has to be a reflection of the society that wears it," he said. "The things that are selling very well are not cutting-edge, casual sloppy stuff."

Tailored, dressier menswear is selling well, a la the popular "Mad Men" stylized series about the advertising industry on AMC cable television, Wolfe said.

"Casual Friday has come and gone," he said.

Mens Runway kicked off with four shows in January, and this round, showing looks for Spring 09, featured six shows on Monday and Tuesday. Other designers showing were Orthodox, Canadas Obakki and Andrew Buckler.

(Editing by Philip Barbara)

Designers sashay from the catwalk to the stadium (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) - The fashion world has finally cottoned on that sportswear is big business with designers competing to make their mark on the Olympics and win a place in the huge Chinese market.

With four billion people expected to watch the 2008 Games, its a dream marketing opportunity for the fashion industry, prompting more designers to outfit national teams and launch sports lines as new sportswear stores pop up around Beijing.

"It is a great opportunity for fashion brands to get involved in something quite big and heroic," said Ligaya Salazar, the curator of a show called "Fashion V Sport" opening at Londons Victoria & Albert Museum this week.

"More and more we are seeing fashion brands getting involved in sports like the Olympics or Wimbledon or the U.S. Open."

Salazar said fashion and sport shared a long history but the direct collaboration only began about 10 years ago after designers noticed people were increasingly wearing sports gear, such as tracksuits and running shoes, on the street.

This opened up a new audience for the fashion world which knew that sports had a greater global impact than any catwalk with fans fiercely loyal to their sporting heroes .

Massive sports brands like Adidas and Nike have always competed for attention at the Olympics but their new rivals are designers previously more at home with a couture crowd.

Designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen are producing collections with sportwears brands and sports figures are heading fashion campaigns, such as English soccer player David Beckham for Armani, or designing their own collections.

Salazar said this trend was reflected at the Beijing Olympics where the fashion stakes have been raised.

DESIGNERS MUSCLE INTO SPORTS

The U.S. Olympic Committee chose Polo Ralph Lauren as their outfitter for the Beijing Olympics, replacing Canadian company Roots Ltd which dressed the team for the past three Olympics.

Canadian retailer Hbc, originally the Hudsons Bay Company, is producing red-and-white hooded sweatshirts (hoodies) and gold collage maple leaf T-shirts with Chinese astrological symbols for the Canadian team.

Rio de Janeiro-based design firm Oestudio joined forces with sportswear brand Olympikus to create the Brazilian outfits.

Many other countries have yet to go public with their outfits which are often kept under wraps until the Opening Ceremony.

But while designers are moving into the arenas, they are also ensuring they back up their efforts with marketing and retail.

For example Polo Ralph Lauren, like many licensees, will also produce Olympics "replica wear" that goes on sale this month as the world spotlight turns onto the August 8-24 Games.

German sports outfitter Adidas opened the doors to its worlds biggest store in Beijing last month as it battles Nike for top slot in the lucrative Chinese market at a time when the U.S. consumers are tightening their purse strings.

The high-tech four-storey megastore in a new shopping centre in the popular Sanlitun area, which boasts another 12 sportswear stores, sells special Adidas collections by Stella McCartney, Yohji Yamamoto of Japan, and an Olympic line.

Shopper Zhang Yan, 23, an English student from Mu Danjiang in Hei Longjiang Province in Beijing for the Olympics, said young Chinese wanted trendy sports clothes for sports and daywear.

"All young people want to these clothes because they are beautiful and very fashionable. Even some older people like to wear them," she told Reuters.

"With the Olympics everyone wants to look sporty as this is the biggest event ever for us and we all want to be supportive."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Yves Saint Laurent's art collection up for auction (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters) - The private art collection of French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge has been put up for auction and will be sold in February 2009, auction house Christies said on Wednesday.

Saint Laurent, one of the leading figures in 20th century French fashion, died in Paris in June at the age of 71.

Contacted by Reuters, Christies, which will organize the auction in partnership with auction house Pierre Berge and Associates, said it would announce the items to be sold at the end of September.

The auction house declined to estimate how much the collection was likely to fetch until those items had been identified, but experts have put the figure between 300 and 500 million euros, (472 million-787 million).

Sources close to Christies said the figure was "not wrong."

French daily Le Figaro said the collection features several hundred pieces including Renaissance jewelry, paintings by masters such as Picasso and Matisse, and manuscripts of the works of French authors Gustave Flaubert and Andre Gide.

Berge, who had amassed the collection with Saint Laurent over a period of almost 40 years, told Le Figaro he "couldnt carry out the sale until after his (Saint Laurents) death," adding that "the page has turned."

Antique dealer Alexis Kugel, who told Le Figaro his relation with the collectors was the closest a dealer could have with his clients, said: "For Yves Saint Laurent art was a vital need, indispensable for his inspiration, like water to survive. It soothed his depressive character."

(Reporting by Joseph Tandy; Editing by Francois Murphy and Catherine Evans)

Punk progeny launches "Terrorist" clothing line (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Joe Corre was born to rail against the establishment and now has the store to power the movement.

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

"I suppose Ive always grown up around the idea of starting a shop in order to start a scene," says Corre, whose designer mother has been on the edgy frontline of fashion for decades and whose father managed the Sex Pistols.

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

"Its just a word thats used to describe the enemy. You know, who they dont want you to like today, but maybe those same people they wanted you to like yesterday," Corre said.

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

When Corre was offered a royal honor in 2007 to recognize the success of the Agent Provocateur luxury lingerie chain which he co-founded with his ex-wife, he rejected the title, saying that the then Prime Minister Tony Blair was "morally corrupt."

When his mother decided to use her return to London Fashion Week earlier this year to protest against the U.S. governments continued use of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to detain foreign suspects, Corres lingerie chain designed underpants for the lead model which read "fair trial my arse" across the backside.

Corre insists he hasnt been intimidated by moving into terrain that has traditionally been his mothers turf.

"Shes been down to this store and she loved it," he said. "Essentially, at the root of all thats where I come from, where she comes from. Its the idea that you lead a much more interesting life when you dress up."

BOGEYMEN

The clothes themselves are the work of designer Simon Armitage, better known by his nom de plume "Barnzley."

"I wasnt particularly enamored with calling it Terrorist at first but after a couple of days of rationalizing...I kind of understood it," Armitage said.

The word now adorns the label on the inner collar of traditional Teddy Boy suits, day-glo camouflage jackets and t-shirts bearing the images of some of historys bogeymen such as Geronimo and Napoleon.

Armitage also helped with the design of the store, built to resemble a Victorian slum and named A Child of the Jago after the 1896 bestseller by Arthur Morrison.

"We wanted to do something that was relevant to the history of this whole area," says Armitage, motioning towards the large mural of William Hogarths Gin Lane on the back wall.

Situated in the shadow of a new skyscraper and next to a construction side for a new Underground station, A Child of The Jago does stand apart from its surroundings.

Armitage said they deliberately decided not to launch a Web site for the label in order to draw people to the store.

"If people want to buy some clothes from here they can come here and buy the clothes from this shop," he said.

"It never stopped me as a little kid going to Viviennes shop (on the Kings Road) to buy punk rock gear...I lived miles away. London might as well have been on Mars when I was a little kid."

Corre said that everything today is too available and reveled in the eclectic assortment of items he has collected from a chain mail suit to a prosthetic leg previously worn by a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.

"Weve got an original Eskimo, Inuit bow and arrow," Corre said from a spot in the shop between a stuffed boar and the second hand books section of the shop.

"We have a Hells Angels leg here. Theyre terrorists right? They cause mayhem and frighten everybody," Corre said.

Corre insists the store is no vanity project and that the shop needs to sell its unusual wares to survive.

"This is not some kind of scouts hut shop for us to just have a bit of fun in," he said.

But wild success with the sale of such unusual one-off items could put him in a bind of a different kind.

"You cant suddenly just ramp it up and open a whole chain of these places." says Corre. "Where the hell are you going to find another Hells Angels leg?"

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Designers sashay from the catwalk to the stadium (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) - The fashion world has finally cottoned on that sportswear is big business with designers competing to make their mark on the Olympics and win a place in the huge Chinese market.

With four billion people expected to watch the 2008 Games, its a dream marketing opportunity for the fashion industry, prompting more designers to outfit national teams and launch sports lines as new sportswear stores pop up around Beijing.

"It is a great opportunity for fashion brands to get involved in something quite big and heroic," said Ligaya Salazar, the curator of a show called "Fashion V Sport" opening at Londons Victoria & Albert Museum this week.

"More and more we are seeing fashion brands getting involved in sports like the Olympics or Wimbledon or the U.S. Open."

Salazar said fashion and sport shared a long history but the direct collaboration only began about 10 years ago after designers noticed people were increasingly wearing sports gear, such as tracksuits and running shoes, on the street.

This opened up a new audience for the fashion world which knew that sports had a greater global impact than any catwalk with fans fiercely loyal to their sporting heroes .

Massive sports brands like Adidas and Nike have always competed for attention at the Olympics but their new rivals are designers previously more at home with a couture crowd.

Designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen are producing collections with sportwears brands and sports figures are heading fashion campaigns, such as English soccer player David Beckham for Armani, or designing their own collections.

Salazar said this trend was reflected at the Beijing Olympics where the fashion stakes have been raised.

DESIGNERS MUSCLE INTO SPORTS

The U.S. Olympic Committee chose Polo Ralph Lauren as their outfitter for the Beijing Olympics, replacing Canadian company Roots Ltd which dressed the team for the past three Olympics.

Canadian retailer Hbc, originally the Hudsons Bay Company, is producing red-and-white hooded sweatshirts (hoodies) and gold collage maple leaf T-shirts with Chinese astrological symbols for the Canadian team.

Rio de Janeiro-based design firm Oestudio joined forces with sportswear brand Olympikus to create the Brazilian outfits.

Many other countries have yet to go public with their outfits which are often kept under wraps until the Opening Ceremony.

But while designers are moving into the arenas, they are also ensuring they back up their efforts with marketing and retail.

For example Polo Ralph Lauren, like many licensees, will also produce Olympics "replica wear" that goes on sale this month as the world spotlight turns onto the August 8-24 Games.

German sports outfitter Adidas opened the doors to its worlds biggest store in Beijing last month as it battles Nike for top slot in the lucrative Chinese market at a time when the U.S. consumers are tightening their purse strings.

The high-tech four-storey megastore in a new shopping centre in the popular Sanlitun area, which boasts another 12 sportswear stores, sells special Adidas collections by Stella McCartney, Yohji Yamamoto of Japan, and an Olympic line.

Shopper Zhang Yan, 23, an English student from Mu Danjiang in Hei Longjiang Province in Beijing for the Olympics, said young Chinese wanted trendy sports clothes for sports and daywear.

"All young people want to these clothes because they are beautiful and very fashionable. Even some older people like to wear them," she told Reuters.

"With the Olympics everyone wants to look sporty as this is the biggest event ever for us and we all want to be supportive."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Model agency Wilhelmina to IPO this year: report (Reuters)

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - U.S.-based modeling agency Wilhelmina is planning an initial public stock offering (IPO) this year, according to a German daily.

Details will be made public within two weeks, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung quoted Wilhelmina Chairman Horst-Dieter Esch as saying in a story on its website on Tuesday.

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

German-born Esch bought the agency in 1988 and still owns 50 percent of the company. Financial investor Brad Krassner bought the remaining stake in 1999.

A spokesman for Wilhelmina declined to comment.

Wilhelmina had sales of 60 million in 2007, the paper quoted Esch as saying.

(Reporting by Nicola Leske; Editing by David Holmes)

Punk progeny launches "Terrorist" clothing line (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Joe Corre was born to rail against the establishment and now has the store to power the movement.

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

"I suppose Ive always grown up around the idea of starting a shop in order to start a scene," says Corre, whose designer mother has been on the edgy frontline of fashion for decades and whose father managed the Sex Pistols.

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

"Its just a word thats used to describe the enemy. You know, who they dont want you to like today, but maybe those same people they wanted you to like yesterday," Corre said.

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

When Corre was offered a royal honor in 2007 to recognize the success of the Agent Provocateur luxury lingerie chain which he co-founded with his ex-wife, he rejected the title, saying that the then Prime Minister Tony Blair was "morally corrupt."

When his mother decided to use her return to London Fashion Week earlier this year to protest against the U.S. governments continued use of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to detain foreign suspects, Corres lingerie chain designed underpants for the lead model which read "fair trial my arse" across the backside.

Corre insists he hasnt been intimidated by moving into terrain that has traditionally been his mothers turf.

"Shes been down to this store and she loved it," he said. "Essentially, at the root of all thats where I come from, where she comes from. Its the idea that you lead a much more interesting life when you dress up."

BOGEYMEN

The clothes themselves are the work of designer Simon Armitage, better known by his nom de plume "Barnzley."

"I wasnt particularly enamored with calling it Terrorist at first but after a couple of days of rationalizing...I kind of understood it," Armitage said.

The word now adorns the label on the inner collar of traditional Teddy Boy suits, day-glo camouflage jackets and t-shirts bearing the images of some of historys bogeymen such as Geronimo and Napoleon.

Armitage also helped with the design of the store, built to resemble a Victorian slum and named A Child of the Jago after the 1896 bestseller by Arthur Morrison.

"We wanted to do something that was relevant to the history of this whole area," says Armitage, motioning towards the large mural of William Hogarths Gin Lane on the back wall.

Situated in the shadow of a new skyscraper and next to a construction side for a new Underground station, A Child of The Jago does stand apart from its surroundings.

Armitage said they deliberately decided not to launch a Web site for the label in order to draw people to the store.

"If people want to buy some clothes from here they can come here and buy the clothes from this shop," he said.

"It never stopped me as a little kid going to Viviennes shop (on the Kings Road) to buy punk rock gear...I lived miles away. London might as well have been on Mars when I was a little kid."

Corre said that everything today is too available and reveled in the eclectic assortment of items he has collected from a chain mail suit to a prosthetic leg previously worn by a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.

"Weve got an original Eskimo, Inuit bow and arrow," Corre said from a spot in the shop between a stuffed boar and the second hand books section of the shop.

"We have a Hells Angels leg here. Theyre terrorists right? They cause mayhem and frighten everybody," Corre said.

Corre insists the store is no vanity project and that the shop needs to sell its unusual wares to survive.

"This is not some kind of scouts hut shop for us to just have a bit of fun in," he said.

But wild success with the sale of such unusual one-off items could put him in a bind of a different kind.

"You cant suddenly just ramp it up and open a whole chain of these places." says Corre. "Where the hell are you going to find another Hells Angels leg?"

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Letting It All Hang Out for National Underwear Day (Fashion Wire Daily)

New York - "Im curious how many men are actually packing out here on the runway," joked Lydia Hearst, the host of Freshpair.coms 6th Annual National Underwear Day runway show and party on Tuesday, Aug. 5, in New York.

"Underwear is the foundation," said Freshpair.com president Michael Kleinmann. "Its the first thing you put on, and the last thing you take off at night, so we wanted to call attention to the intimate apparel industry."

More than 10 runway shows from brands that included Diesel, Wacoal, Sean John, Natori, Mundo Unico, Champion, Le Mystere, DKNY, Nautica and Tommy Hilfiger sauced up the square-shaped runway, giving a good view to all the guests of male and female models in their skivvies.

Throughout the course of the evening, like browsing through a catalogue or online shop, the various brands displayed a full spectrum of undergarments, from briefs, boxer shorts, boxer briefs, sports bras, thong styles, lace, satin, cotton - you name it. Some looks, like a tight black t-shirt and matching boxer brief trimmed with neon green worn by one male model, elicited giggles from a group of women. Mostly, onlookers gazed with awe, their jaws occasionally dropping when a particularly handsome model breezed past in tight briefs.

Held at Espace, a club on the far west end of 42nd Street - a street notoriously associated with peep shows in the past - the scene at the party could have been one from the pages of the formerly seedy streets history books, with dozens of buff beefcakes roaming the room or standing on mini-stages as girls with huge smiles on their faces posed for photographs with them, as though at a bachelorette party.

Designer Richie Rich, formerly of Heatherette - his friend Lydia Hearst has often modeled in his shows - was frank about his underwear preferences.

"The tighter the better - I like tightie whities," he said, and revealed that he was sporting striped underwear in celebration of National Underwear Day. He is currently working on his new solo collection "Celebutante" as well as a record, both of which hell debut this September during New Yorks fashion week.

For guests like Russell Simmons, the answer was simple about why he was there.

"Underwear is sexy," he said. "It keeps people moving."

Model agency Wilhelmina to IPO this year: report (Reuters)

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - U.S.-based modeling agency Wilhelmina is planning an initial public stock offering (IPO) this year, according to a German daily.

Details will be made public within two weeks, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung quoted Wilhelmina Chairman Horst-Dieter Esch as saying in a story on its website on Tuesday.

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

German-born Esch bought the agency in 1988 and still owns 50 percent of the company. Financial investor Brad Krassner bought the remaining stake in 1999.

A spokesman for Wilhelmina declined to comment.

Wilhelmina had sales of 60 million in 2007, the paper quoted Esch as saying.

(Reporting by Nicola Leske; Editing by David Holmes)

Menswear sales outpace women's wear (AP)

WHAT'S NEW: In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back on buying clothes, but there's been a major shift. Over the past year, men -- enticed by a new slimmed-down silhouette -- have been on a buying spree, while women have pulled back even more. The lopsided fortunes is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years.

THE NUMBERS: Menswear sales rose 0.8 percent in the year ended in May, while women's wear sales fell 3.5 percent, according to the most recent data from market research firm NPD Group. The gap has widened recently, with women's wear sales dropping 3 percent in the three months ended in May, while menswear sales rose 2.3 percent.

THE IMPACT: Men's renewed interest in updating their wardrobe is leading some stores to change how they market to men, who are now increasingly buying their own clothing.

REALITY CHECK: With women's fashions accounting for 65 percent of the $155 billion adult clothing market, the rising fortunes of menswear -- a market half the size of women's wear -- hasn't significantly lifted overall sales. For the year ended May, adult clothing sales fell 2 percent.

Letting It All Hang Out for National Underwear Day (Fashion Wire Daily)

New York - "Im curious how many men are actually packing out here on the runway," joked Lydia Hearst, the host of Freshpair.coms 6th Annual National Underwear Day runway show and party on Tuesday, Aug. 5, in New York.

"Underwear is the foundation," said Freshpair.com president Michael Kleinmann. "Its the first thing you put on, and the last thing you take off at night, so we wanted to call attention to the intimate apparel industry."

More than 10 runway shows from brands that included Diesel, Wacoal, Sean John, Natori, Mundo Unico, Champion, Le Mystere, DKNY, Nautica and Tommy Hilfiger sauced up the square-shaped runway, giving a good view to all the guests of male and female models in their skivvies.

Throughout the course of the evening, like browsing through a catalogue or online shop, the various brands displayed a full spectrum of undergarments, from briefs, boxer shorts, boxer briefs, sports bras, thong styles, lace, satin, cotton - you name it. Some looks, like a tight black t-shirt and matching boxer brief trimmed with neon green worn by one male model, elicited giggles from a group of women. Mostly, onlookers gazed with awe, their jaws occasionally dropping when a particularly handsome model breezed past in tight briefs.

Held at Espace, a club on the far west end of 42nd Street - a street notoriously associated with peep shows in the past - the scene at the party could have been one from the pages of the formerly seedy streets history books, with dozens of buff beefcakes roaming the room or standing on mini-stages as girls with huge smiles on their faces posed for photographs with them, as though at a bachelorette party.

Designer Richie Rich, formerly of Heatherette - his friend Lydia Hearst has often modeled in his shows - was frank about his underwear preferences.

"The tighter the better - I like tightie whities," he said, and revealed that he was sporting striped underwear in celebration of National Underwear Day. He is currently working on his new solo collection "Celebutante" as well as a record, both of which hell debut this September during New Yorks fashion week.

For guests like Russell Simmons, the answer was simple about why he was there.

"Underwear is sexy," he said. "It keeps people moving."

Menswear sales outpace women's business (AP)

NEW YORK - Steve Hale has discovered a reason to splurge on clothing again: the slim silhouette in suits to shirts that's replacing the baggier fits of past years. But his wife, Cathy, has slashed her monthly apparel spending, saying she's "bored" by what's out there.

In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back -- but the Hales represent a new phenomenon in retailing: Over the past year, men have been on a clothes-buying spree, while women have pulled back even more.

"I did feel for a long period that there wasn't anything new to buy," said Steve Hale, a 37-year-old financial consultant who had stuck with the business casual uniform of khakis and dress shirts since the late 1990s. "But I really like the slim fit. It's not so roomy, not so bulky, and it's a lot cleaner."

The lopsided fortunes -- solid sales gains in menswear and a deepening funk in the far larger women's clothing business -- is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years, according to David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group, a buying office.

Fashion observers say the main catalyst fueling menswear buying is the slimmed-down styles shown on the runways a few years ago by designer Thom Browne that have recently garnered mass appeal. The look is being popularized by AMC's award-winning series "Mad Men" about ad executives in the 1960s.

Over the past year, the fashions, from body-conscious suits to leaner khakis, have been heavily promoted by an array of stores from conservative haberdashery Brooks Brothers to department stores like Macy's and Bloomingdale's.

Executives from those stores said menswear sales began outpacing women's wear last year. They wouldn't give exact figures because of competitive reasons. But the disparity has been widening, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for research company NPD Group Inc. According to NPD's most recent data, menswear sales rose 0.8 percent in the year ended in May, while women's wear sales fell 3.5 percent. In the three months ended in May, women's wear sales dropped 3 percent, while menswear sales rose 2.3 percent.

With women's fashions accounting for 65 percent of the $155 billion adult apparel market, the rising fortunes of menswear -- accounting for just half the size of women's wear -- hasn't significantly helped lift overall sales. For the year ended May, adult clothing sales fell 2 percent.

Still, fashion pundits like Wolfe hail the trend as the biggest change in men's fashion in more than a decade, since the relaxation in business dress codes enticed men to fill up their wardrobes with everything khaki. Major menswear brands like VF Corp.'s Nautica and Levi Strauss and Co.'s Dockers have reworked their fits. Pants, for example, have less material in the seat and thigh and have no pleats; suit jackets have higher armholes with narrower and shorter sleeves.

"You can throw out all the rules," said Cohen. Even in tough economic times, "this is a trend that you have to buy, otherwise you look outdated."

"Suddenly, a pair of cargo pants and a polo shirt doesn't look good anymore," said Wolfe, who sees the change being embraced by men in their 20s to men over 50 who don't want to look past their prime.

"Women's wear has painted themselves in a corner. By offering too many options and with everything a trend, it is very easy not to buy anything," Wolfe said.

Designers of women's wear may have seen the new trend in the men's market and taken inspiration for a slim, sophisticated '60s shape for fall -- Michael Kors and Peter Som have both cited "Mad Men" as inspiration for their women's clothes.

The sluggish economy is playing a role too. Higher gas and food costs and fiscal uncertainties have clearly made both men and women cut back on in-today, out-tomorrow trends like wild printed tops. But the threat of layoffs has also forced many employees to dress more formally as a way to hold on to their jobs and look more serious, Cohen said. Women can go back to their closets to find dressier and classic alternatives, but men now have a reason to buy.

"I am dressing up a bit more," said Steve Hale. "If you are keeping up with fashion, people notice and it gives them more confidence" that the financial industry is going to turn around. He said he now spends about $500 a month on clothes, more than twice as much as he spent previously.

Jonathan Singer, 26, who works in high-tech marketing, credits his new wardrobe to helping him land a better-paying job. The Boston resident spent about $2,000 over the past six months on a slimmer-fit suit from Benetton as well as slender shirts from Diesel and French Connection. In the past, he had spent about $300 every six months.

"It always pays to look good," he said. "I had looked in the mirror and never was impressed. I looked like a little kid who was waiting to grow into his clothes."

Now, he says, "I feel extremely confident in the way I look. Everyone has noticed."

Men's interest in updating their wardrobes is forcing merchants to rethink how to market to them. They're seeing a growing number of men shopping for themselves, instead of relying on their wives and girlfriends to buy for them.

Bloomingdale's is rolling out separate areas in the men's department that incorporate tailored clothing with other accessories like ice buckets and gadgets like GPS systems and high-end shaving tools. Meanwhile, Macy's has adding more exclusive lines like tight-fitting Emporio Armani underwear.

Alex Guerrero, vice president of men's merchandising at Dockers, said the company is heavily featuring the new fits -- a slim-cut khaki pant, tested last summer, as well as a newly unveiled straight cut, which was introduced in May and has broader appeal, at department stores this fall alongside its usual fits -- relaxed and classic. About 70 percent of the business is still in the classic and relaxed fits, which is its most generous cut.

The slim and straight styles fit like jeans, while the relaxed and classic fits are more like trousers. For fall, Dockers has also trimmed down its classic shirts and suit separates.

And what about those men who aren't, well, slim? Retail executives insist the new silhouettes aren't just for the skinny.

"It still fits guys who eat meatballs," said Stuart Goldblatt, Macy's senior vice president of merchandising for men's and children's clothes.

Menswear sales outpace women's wear (AP)

WHAT'S NEW: In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back on buying clothes, but there's been a major shift. Over the past year, men -- enticed by a new slimmed-down silhouette -- have been on a buying spree, while women have pulled back even more. The lopsided fortunes is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years.

THE NUMBERS: Menswear sales rose 0.8 percent in the year ended in May, while women's wear sales fell 3.5 percent, according to the most recent data from market research firm NPD Group. The gap has widened recently, with women's wear sales dropping 3 percent in the three months ended in May, while menswear sales rose 2.3 percent.

THE IMPACT: Men's renewed interest in updating their wardrobe is leading some stores to change how they market to men, who are now increasingly buying their own clothing.

REALITY CHECK: With women's fashions accounting for 65 percent of the $155 billion adult clothing market, the rising fortunes of menswear -- a market half the size of women's wear -- hasn't significantly lifted overall sales. For the year ended May, adult clothing sales fell 2 percent.

Givenchy to help dress Madonna for her world tour (AP)

PARIS - The upscale French fashion house Givenchy will help dress Madonna for her upcoming "Sticky & Sweet" world tour, a spokeswoman for the label said Tuesday.

Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci worked with the pop star to create two outfits, one of which Madonna is expected to wear during an opening number, Givenchy spokeswoman Caroline Deroche-Pasquier said.

The opening outfit is a frock coat in black stretch satin, she said. The other ensemble, to be worn in the third act of Madonna's, is a long cape worn over a black dress embellished with colored ribbons "to give it a Gypsy look," she said.

Deroche-Pasquier said other designers will also dress the star for the tour but declined to say who.

Madonna has a long history of working with French designers. Frenchman Jean-Paul Gaultier was behind the pointy cone bras that were the hallmarks of Madonna's 1990 "Blonde Ambition" tour.

Her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour kicks off in Cardiff, Wales, on Aug. 23 with stops across Europe, including Berlin, Rome, London and Paris, before going to North America.

Tisci, who hails from the Italian port city of Taranto, has been with Givenchy since 2005. Known for his Gothic-influenced pieces and use of sumptuous, dark fabrics, Tisci's latest collections have garnered rave reviews.

___

On the Net:

http://www.givenchy.fr

http://www.madonna.com

Menswear sales outpace women's business (AP)

NEW YORK - Steve Hale has discovered a reason to splurge on clothing again: the slim silhouette in suits to shirts that's replacing the baggier fits of past years. But his wife, Cathy, has slashed her monthly apparel spending, saying she's "bored" by what's out there.

In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back -- but the Hales represent a new phenomenon in retailing: Over the past year, men have been on a clothes-buying spree, while women have pulled back even more.

"I did feel for a long period that there wasn't anything new to buy," said Steve Hale, a 37-year-old financial consultant who had stuck with the business casual uniform of khakis and dress shirts since the late 1990s. "But I really like the slim fit. It's not so roomy, not so bulky, and it's a lot cleaner."

The lopsided fortunes -- solid sales gains in menswear and a deepening funk in the far larger women's clothing business -- is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years, according to David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group, a buying office.

Fashion observers say the main catalyst fueling menswear buying is the slimmed-down styles shown on the runways a few years ago by designer Thom Browne that have recently garnered mass appeal. The look is being popularized by AMC's award-winning series "Mad Men" about ad executives in the 1960s.

Over the past year, the fashions, from body-conscious suits to leaner khakis, have been heavily promoted by an array of stores from conservative haberdashery Brooks Brothers to department stores like Macy's and Bloomingdale's.

Executives from those stores said menswear sales began outpacing women's wear last year. They wouldn't give exact figures because of competitive reasons. But the disparity has been widening, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for research company NPD Group Inc. According to NPD's most recent data, menswear sales rose 0.8 percent in the year ended in May, while women's wear sales fell 3.5 percent. In the three months ended in May, women's wear sales dropped 3 percent, while menswear sales rose 2.3 percent.

With women's fashions accounting for 65 percent of the $155 billion adult apparel market, the rising fortunes of menswear -- accounting for just half the size of women's wear -- hasn't significantly helped lift overall sales. For the year ended May, adult clothing sales fell 2 percent.

Still, fashion pundits like Wolfe hail the trend as the biggest change in men's fashion in more than a decade, since the relaxation in business dress codes enticed men to fill up their wardrobes with everything khaki. Major menswear brands like VF Corp.'s Nautica and Levi Strauss and Co.'s Dockers have reworked their fits. Pants, for example, have less material in the seat and thigh and have no pleats; suit jackets have higher armholes with narrower and shorter sleeves.

"You can throw out all the rules," said Cohen. Even in tough economic times, "this is a trend that you have to buy, otherwise you look outdated."

"Suddenly, a pair of cargo pants and a polo shirt doesn't look good anymore," said Wolfe, who sees the change being embraced by men in their 20s to men over 50 who don't want to look past their prime.

"Women's wear has painted themselves in a corner. By offering too many options and with everything a trend, it is very easy not to buy anything," Wolfe said.

Designers of women's wear may have seen the new trend in the men's market and taken inspiration for a slim, sophisticated '60s shape for fall -- Michael Kors and Peter Som have both cited "Mad Men" as inspiration for their women's clothes.

The sluggish economy is playing a role too. Higher gas and food costs and fiscal uncertainties have clearly made both men and women cut back on in-today, out-tomorrow trends like wild printed tops. But the threat of layoffs has also forced many employees to dress more formally as a way to hold on to their jobs and look more serious, Cohen said. Women can go back to their closets to find dressier and classic alternatives, but men now have a reason to buy.

"I am dressing up a bit more," said Steve Hale. "If you are keeping up with fashion, people notice and it gives them more confidence" that the financial industry is going to turn around. He said he now spends about $500 a month on clothes, more than twice as much as he spent previously.

Jonathan Singer, 26, who works in high-tech marketing, credits his new wardrobe to helping him land a better-paying job. The Boston resident spent about $2,000 over the past six months on a slimmer-fit suit from Benetton as well as slender shirts from Diesel and French Connection. In the past, he had spent about $300 every six months.

"It always pays to look good," he said. "I had looked in the mirror and never was impressed. I looked like a little kid who was waiting to grow into his clothes."

Now, he says, "I feel extremely confident in the way I look. Everyone has noticed."

Men's interest in updating their wardrobes is forcing merchants to rethink how to market to them. They're seeing a growing number of men shopping for themselves, instead of relying on their wives and girlfriends to buy for them.

Bloomingdale's is rolling out separate areas in the men's department that incorporate tailored clothing with other accessories like ice buckets and gadgets like GPS systems and high-end shaving tools. Meanwhile, Macy's has adding more exclusive lines like tight-fitting Emporio Armani underwear.

Alex Guerrero, vice president of men's merchandising at Dockers, said the company is heavily featuring the new fits -- a slim-cut khaki pant, tested last summer, as well as a newly unveiled straight cut, which was introduced in May and has broader appeal, at department stores this fall alongside its usual fits -- relaxed and classic. About 70 percent of the business is still in the classic and relaxed fits, which is its most generous cut.

The slim and straight styles fit like jeans, while the relaxed and classic fits are more like trousers. For fall, Dockers has also trimmed down its classic shirts and suit separates.

And what about those men who aren't, well, slim? Retail executives insist the new silhouettes aren't just for the skinny.

"It still fits guys who eat meatballs," said Stuart Goldblatt, Macy's senior vice president of merchandising for men's and children's clothes.

Madonna to wear Givenchy for Sticky and Sweet tour (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters Life!) - Madonna has chosen French Haute Couture house Givenchy to design clothing for her new "Sticky and Sweet" world tour which starts in Britain this month, the fashion firm said on Tuesday.

Two outfits from Givenchy Haute Couture by designer Riccardo Tisci have been created for the "queen of pop." Givenchy described the first as "a reference to Gangster Pimp and Art Deco" and the second as "a Gypsy inspiration."

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to offer the world of Givenchy Haute Couture to Madonna the Icon, the Artist, the Woman for whom I have so much respect and admiration, " Tisci said in a press statement.

The first outfit is described as a frock coat in black stretch satin, trimmed with pleated black silk organza embroidered with jet beads and waistcoat in black stretch satin trimmed with black silk fringes embroidered with jet beads and laced up corseted back.

The "Gypsy" outfit consists of a long-hooded cape in black silk taffeta, lined in fuchsia silk taffeta and embroidered with jet stones and a dress in black stretch chiffon trimmed with multicolored ribbons and fuchsia colored metal chains worn with a matching necklace.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato)

French touch dominatrix for new Madonna tour (AFP)

PARIS (AFP) - With the help of some of the best of French haute couture, Madonna is to kick off her new "Sticky and Sweet" world tour next week in a slinky dominatrix-style frock coat in black stretch satin designed by none other than Givenchy.

A spokeswoman from the French fashion house said Riccardo Tisci, its designer of three and a half years, had provided not only the frock coat in which the queen of pop will open the tour starting in Cardiff August 23, but also a second outfit.

The outfit for the opening number, worn with a waistcoat and trimmed with jet beads, is influenced by "Gangster Pimp" and "Art Deco", according to the house.

The second outfit breaks with Madonnas long-running taste for the dominatrix style with a gypsy-style black cape lined in fuschia and a black stretch chiffon dress trimmed with coloured ribbons and coloured metal chains.

Madonna earlier this year threw on another Givenchy number -- a black dress with lots of metal chain -- for her video of "Give It 2 Me."

Other designers getting a piece of the action for this tour include Tom Ford with suits for the band, Miu Miu and Stella McCartney with footwear, Moschino with sunglasses while there are also other contributions from Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli and Jeremy Scott, according to Womens Wear Daily.

Givenchy to help dress Madonna for her world tour (AP)

PARIS - The upscale French fashion house Givenchy will help dress Madonna for her upcoming "Sticky & Sweet" world tour, a spokeswoman for the label said Tuesday.

Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci worked with the pop star to create two outfits, one of which Madonna is expected to wear during an opening number, Givenchy spokeswoman Caroline Deroche-Pasquier said.

The opening outfit is a frock coat in black stretch satin, she said. The other ensemble, to be worn in the third act of Madonna's, is a long cape worn over a black dress embellished with colored ribbons "to give it a Gypsy look," she said.

Deroche-Pasquier said other designers will also dress the star for the tour but declined to say who.

Madonna has a long history of working with French designers. Frenchman Jean-Paul Gaultier was behind the pointy cone bras that were the hallmarks of Madonna's 1990 "Blonde Ambition" tour.

Her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour kicks off in Cardiff, Wales, on Aug. 23 with stops across Europe, including Berlin, Rome, London and Paris, before going to North America.

Tisci, who hails from the Italian port city of Taranto, has been with Givenchy since 2005. Known for his Gothic-influenced pieces and use of sumptuous, dark fabrics, Tisci's latest collections have garnered rave reviews.

___

On the Net:

http://www.givenchy.fr

http://www.madonna.com

Madonna to wear Givenchy for Sticky and Sweet tour (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters Life!) - Madonna has chosen French Haute Couture house Givenchy to design clothing for her new "Sticky and Sweet" world tour which starts in Britain this month, the fashion firm said on Tuesday.

Two outfits from Givenchy Haute Couture by designer Riccardo Tisci have been created for the "queen of pop." Givenchy described the first as "a reference to Gangster Pimp and Art Deco" and the second as "a Gypsy inspiration."

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to offer the world of Givenchy Haute Couture to Madonna the Icon, the Artist, the Woman for whom I have so much respect and admiration, " Tisci said in a press statement.

The first outfit is described as a frock coat in black stretch satin, trimmed with pleated black silk organza embroidered with jet beads and waistcoat in black stretch satin trimmed with black silk fringes embroidered with jet beads and laced up corseted back.

The "Gypsy" outfit consists of a long-hooded cape in black silk taffeta, lined in fuchsia silk taffeta and embroidered with jet stones and a dress in black stretch chiffon trimmed with multicolored ribbons and fuchsia colored metal chains worn with a matching necklace.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato)

French touch dominatrix for new Madonna tour (AFP)

PARIS (AFP) - With the help of some of the best of French haute couture, Madonna is to kick off her new "Sticky and Sweet" world tour next week in a slinky dominatrix-style frock coat in black stretch satin designed by none other than Givenchy.

A spokeswoman from the French fashion house said Riccardo Tisci, its designer of three and a half years, had provided not only the frock coat in which the queen of pop will open the tour starting in Cardiff August 23, but also a second outfit.

The outfit for the opening number, worn with a waistcoat and trimmed with jet beads, is influenced by "Gangster Pimp" and "Art Deco", according to the house.

The second outfit breaks with Madonnas long-running taste for the dominatrix style with a gypsy-style black cape lined in fuschia and a black stretch chiffon dress trimmed with coloured ribbons and coloured metal chains.

Madonna earlier this year threw on another Givenchy number -- a black dress with lots of metal chain -- for her video of "Give It 2 Me."

Other designers getting a piece of the action for this tour include Tom Ford with suits for the band, Miu Miu and Stella McCartney with footwear, Moschino with sunglasses while there are also other contributions from Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli and Jeremy Scott, according to Womens Wear Daily.

Sears seeks to be synonymous with chic (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - The adjectives hip, chic and fashionable are not usually used when speaking of Sears, an American retailer better known for selling practical items like power tools and appliances, sturdy jeans and boxy shirts.

But the discount retailer is looking to New Yorks upcoming September fashion week to cultivate a hipper image.

Sears, Roebuck and Co, a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corp, said on Wednesday that it will unveil a lifestyle exhibit on September 10 in New Yorks Bryant Park, where fashions biggest names parade their spring collections on catwalks set up under big, white tents.

The retailer faces a hurdle convincing shoppers of its chic factor.

Sears exhibit, open to the public, will showcase brands Sears already offers in its stores, like Kenmore appliances, as well as brands it is introducing, like a clothing line by rapper LL Cool J.

"What we really wanted to do was bring a taste of Fashion Week to people who would normally never get to sit under the tents or get to see a runway show," said Sears spokeswoman Amy Dimond.

The retailer will also hold an exclusive kick-off party meant to get those in attendance, like fashion industry executives, to look "at Sears in a way that people may have not in the past." she said.

The move comes as its tries to rejuvenate sales. Same-store sales fell almost 10 percent in the first-quarter.

Dimond declined to say how much Sears was spending to stage the event, but "real estate at Bryant Park is not inexpensive," she added.

(Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

Sears seeks to be synonymous with chic (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - The adjectives hip, chic and fashionable are not usually used when speaking of Sears, an American retailer better known for selling practical items like power tools and appliances, sturdy jeans and boxy shirts.

But the discount retailer is looking to New Yorks upcoming September fashion week to cultivate a hipper image.

Sears, Roebuck and Co, a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corp, said on Wednesday that it will unveil a lifestyle exhibit on September 10 in New Yorks Bryant Park, where fashions biggest names parade their spring collections on catwalks set up under big, white tents.

The retailer faces a hurdle convincing shoppers of its chic factor.

Sears exhibit, open to the public, will showcase brands Sears already offers in its stores, like Kenmore appliances, as well as brands it is introducing, like a clothing line by rapper LL Cool J.

"What we really wanted to do was bring a taste of Fashion Week to people who would normally never get to sit under the tents or get to see a runway show," said Sears spokeswoman Amy Dimond.

The retailer will also hold an exclusive kick-off party meant to get those in attendance, like fashion industry executives, to look "at Sears in a way that people may have not in the past." she said.

The move comes as its tries to rejuvenate sales. Same-store sales fell almost 10 percent in the first-quarter.

Dimond declined to say how much Sears was spending to stage the event, but "real estate at Bryant Park is not inexpensive," she added.

(Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

Madonna at 50: She still dresses to her own beat (AP)

NEW YORK - No matter what your taste, there's probably a Madonna for you.

The pop star, who is turning 50 Saturday, is one of fashion's great chameleons. She's been a punk princess and lady of the manor. She has channeled Marilyn Monroe, Eva Peron and a geisha.

The whole underwear-as-outerwear trend? That came from Madonna. Not to mention those '80s blondes who proudly showed their roots while wearing lace gloves and lots of chains. And would Kabbalah and yoga as lifestyle trends be where they are today without her?

"She's become an adjective. Friends will go shopping with each other and say, `It's so Madonna.' That's what you want in fashion," says stylist and TV commentator Robert Verdi.

Lately Madonna has mostly been spotted in workout gear, perhaps in preparation for her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour that will be partially outfitted by Givenchy. Designer Riccardo Tisci has worked up two outfits: a frock coat in black stretch satin and a long cape worn over a black dress embellished with colored ribbons -- for a Gypsy-inspired outfit.

It's hard to say if the Gypsy look will start another trend. The cone-front corset Jean Paul Gaultier created for her Blond Ambition tour in 1990 didn't fully catch on with the masses.

But whether her looks are influential or merely memorable, Madonna always finds a way to connect with people and she never wears a look long enough for it to become stale, observes Verdi. If the disco revival look of her "Hung Up" era in 2005 clicked with him, her cowgirl-hat days in 2000 spoke to someone else.

"I don't love all her looks but can appreciate them all," he says. "She's always operated from a position that's a good hybrid of contemporary pop culture -- the psyche of the nation -- but also an artistic slant and art always pushes the envelope."

Tracksuit chic explored in London exhibition (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Is your sweaty old tracksuit a fashion statement or just comfy clothing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emilio Puccis signature swirls splashed across a pair of trainers, customized tracksuits laced with graffiti, a leather Chanel wetsuit sporting a wave design and Yves Saint Laurents jumpsuit from the 2008 collection are some of the shows stars.

"Fashion V Sport" also traces the trend of customization. Sports shoe customiser Paul Nash speaks of his new-found niche with global superbrands such as Reebok, whose customers want to turn their ordinary trainers into personalized fashion pieces.

The final section of the show turns its attention to sportswear collectors who own hundreds of pairs of trainers and people like Japanese fashion designer Hirofumi Kiyonaga, who has created a fashion brand named after his virtual football team.

Sport stars such as David Beckham and Roger Federer have not only become style icons but are also the faces of Police sunglasses and Rolex respectively. The V&A shows how such high-profile athletes have bridged the fashion-sport gap.

Salazar said fashion and sport share a long history, but close collaboration only began about 10 years ago after designers noticed ordinary people increasingly wearing sports gear outside the gym, in emulation of the stars of the sports and entertainment worlds.

The show is an interesting display which explores how sportswear has been transformed by couture and how "street" image has also increasingly influenced our style of dressing in and out of the gym.

So keep an eye on multiple-gold-medal-winning U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, the other superstars at Beijing and top athletes in tennis, golf, soccer...because the fashion companies expect youll be clamoring for their clothes.

"It is a great opportunity for fashion brands to get involved in something quite big and heroic," Salazar said.

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

French touch dominatrix for new Madonna tour (AFP)

PARIS (AFP) - With the help of some of the best of French haute couture, Madonna is to kick off her new "Sticky and Sweet" world tour next week in a slinky dominatrix-style frock coat in black stretch satin designed by none other than Givenchy.

A spokeswoman from the French fashion house said Riccardo Tisci, its designer of three and a half years, had provided not only the frock coat in which the queen of pop will open the tour starting in Cardiff August 23, but also a second outfit.

The outfit for the opening number, worn with a waistcoat and trimmed with jet beads, is influenced by "Gangster Pimp" and "Art Deco", according to the house.

The second outfit breaks with Madonnas long-running taste for the dominatrix style with a gypsy-style black cape lined in fuschia and a black stretch chiffon dress trimmed with coloured ribbons and coloured metal chains.

Madonna earlier this year threw on another Givenchy number -- a black dress with lots of metal chain -- for her video of "Give It 2 Me."

Other designers getting a piece of the action for this tour include Tom Ford with suits for the band, Miu Miu and Stella McCartney with footwear, Moschino with sunglasses while there are also other contributions from Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli and Jeremy Scott, according to Womens Wear Daily.

Sears seeks to be synonymous with chic (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - The adjectives hip, chic and fashionable are not usually used when speaking of Sears, an American retailer better known for selling practical items like power tools and appliances, sturdy jeans and boxy shirts.

But the discount retailer is looking to New Yorks upcoming September fashion week to cultivate a hipper image.

Sears, Roebuck and Co, a subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corp, said on Wednesday that it will unveil a lifestyle exhibit on September 10 in New Yorks Bryant Park, where fashions biggest names parade their spring collections on catwalks set up under big, white tents.

The retailer faces a hurdle convincing shoppers of its chic factor.

Sears exhibit, open to the public, will showcase brands Sears already offers in its stores, like Kenmore appliances, as well as brands it is introducing, like a clothing line by rapper LL Cool J.

"What we really wanted to do was bring a taste of Fashion Week to people who would normally never get to sit under the tents or get to see a runway show," said Sears spokeswoman Amy Dimond.

The retailer will also hold an exclusive kick-off party meant to get those in attendance, like fashion industry executives, to look "at Sears in a way that people may have not in the past." she said.

The move comes as its tries to rejuvenate sales. Same-store sales fell almost 10 percent in the first-quarter.

Dimond declined to say how much Sears was spending to stage the event, but "real estate at Bryant Park is not inexpensive," she added.

(Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

Givenchy to help dress Madonna for her world tour (AP)

PARIS - The upscale French fashion house Givenchy will help dress Madonna for her upcoming "Sticky & Sweet" world tour, a spokeswoman for the label said Tuesday.

Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci worked with the pop star to create two outfits, one of which Madonna is expected to wear during an opening number, Givenchy spokeswoman Caroline Deroche-Pasquier said.

The opening outfit is a frock coat in black stretch satin, she said. The other ensemble, to be worn in the third act of Madonna's, is a long cape worn over a black dress embellished with colored ribbons "to give it a Gypsy look," she said.

Deroche-Pasquier said other designers will also dress the star for the tour but declined to say who.

Madonna has a long history of working with French designers. Frenchman Jean-Paul Gaultier was behind the pointy cone bras that were the hallmarks of Madonna's 1990 "Blonde Ambition" tour.

Her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour kicks off in Cardiff, Wales, on Aug. 23 with stops across Europe, including Berlin, Rome, London and Paris, before going to North America.

Tisci, who hails from the Italian port city of Taranto, has been with Givenchy since 2005. Known for his Gothic-influenced pieces and use of sumptuous, dark fabrics, Tisci's latest collections have garnered rave reviews.

___

On the Net:

http://www.givenchy.fr

http://www.madonna.com

Madonna to wear Givenchy for Sticky and Sweet tour (Reuters)

PARIS (Reuters Life!) - Madonna has chosen French Haute Couture house Givenchy to design clothing for her new "Sticky and Sweet" world tour which starts in Britain this month, the fashion firm said on Tuesday.

Two outfits from Givenchy Haute Couture by designer Riccardo Tisci have been created for the "queen of pop." Givenchy described the first as "a reference to Gangster Pimp and Art Deco" and the second as "a Gypsy inspiration."

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to offer the world of Givenchy Haute Couture to Madonna the Icon, the Artist, the Woman for whom I have so much respect and admiration, " Tisci said in a press statement.

The first outfit is described as a frock coat in black stretch satin, trimmed with pleated black silk organza embroidered with jet beads and waistcoat in black stretch satin trimmed with black silk fringes embroidered with jet beads and laced up corseted back.

The "Gypsy" outfit consists of a long-hooded cape in black silk taffeta, lined in fuchsia silk taffeta and embroidered with jet stones and a dress in black stretch chiffon trimmed with multicolored ribbons and fuchsia colored metal chains worn with a matching necklace.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato)

Menswear sales outpace women's wear (AP)

WHAT'S NEW: In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back on buying clothes, but there's been a major shift. Over the past year, men -- enticed by a new slimmed-down silhouette -- have been on a buying spree, while women have pulled back even more. The lopsided fortunes is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years.

THE NUMBERS: Menswear sales rose 0.8 percent in the year ended in May, while women's wear sales fell 3.5 percent, according to the most recent data from market research firm NPD Group. The gap has widened recently, with women's wear sales dropping 3 percent in the three months ended in May, while menswear sales rose 2.3 percent.

THE IMPACT: Men's renewed interest in updating their wardrobe is leading some stores to change how they market to men, who are now increasingly buying their own clothing.

REALITY CHECK: With women's fashions accounting for 65 percent of the $155 billion adult clothing market, the rising fortunes of menswear -- a market half the size of women's wear -- hasn't significantly lifted overall sales. For the year ended May, adult clothing sales fell 2 percent.

Menswear sales outpace women's business (AP)

NEW YORK - Steve Hale has discovered a reason to splurge on clothing again: the slim silhouette in suits to shirts that's replacing the baggier fits of past years. But his wife, Cathy, has slashed her monthly apparel spending, saying she's "bored" by what's out there.

In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back -- but the Hales represent a new phenomenon in retailing: Over the past year, men have been on a clothes-buying spree, while women have pulled back even more.

"I did feel for a long period that there wasn't anything new to buy," said Steve Hale, a 37-year-old financial consultant who had stuck with the business casual uniform of khakis and dress shirts since the late 1990s. "But I really like the slim fit. It's not so roomy, not so bulky, and it's a lot cleaner."

The lopsided fortunes -- solid sales gains in menswear and a deepening funk in the far larger women's clothing business -- is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years, according to David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group, a buying office.

Fashion observers say the main catalyst fueling menswear buying is the slimmed-down styles shown on the runways a few years ago by designer Thom Browne that have recently garnered mass appeal. The look is being popularized by AMC's award-winning series "Mad Men" about ad executives in the 1960s.

Over the past year, the fashions, from body-conscious suits to leaner khakis, have been heavily promoted by an array of stores from conservative haberdashery Brooks Brothers to department stores like Macy's and Bloomingdale's.

Executives from those stores said menswear sales began outpacing women's wear last year. They wouldn't give exact figures because of competitive reasons. But the disparity has been widening, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for research company NPD Group Inc. According to NPD's most recent data, menswear sales rose 0.8 percent in the year ended in May, while women's wear sales fell 3.5 percent. In the three months ended in May, women's wear sales dropped 3 percent, while menswear sales rose 2.3 percent.

With women's fashions accounting for 65 percent of the $155 billion adult apparel market, the rising fortunes of menswear -- accounting for just half the size of women's wear -- hasn't significantly helped lift overall sales. For the year ended May, adult clothing sales fell 2 percent.

Still, fashion pundits like Wolfe hail the trend as the biggest change in men's fashion in more than a decade, since the relaxation in business dress codes enticed men to fill up their wardrobes with everything khaki. Major menswear brands like VF Corp.'s Nautica and Levi Strauss and Co.'s Dockers have reworked their fits. Pants, for example, have less material in the seat and thigh and have no pleats; suit jackets have higher armholes with narrower and shorter sleeves.

"You can throw out all the rules," said Cohen. Even in tough economic times, "this is a trend that you have to buy, otherwise you look outdated."

"Suddenly, a pair of cargo pants and a polo shirt doesn't look good anymore," said Wolfe, who sees the change being embraced by men in their 20s to men over 50 who don't want to look past their prime.

"Women's wear has painted themselves in a corner. By offering too many options and with everything a trend, it is very easy not to buy anything," Wolfe said.

Designers of women's wear may have seen the new trend in the men's market and taken inspiration for a slim, sophisticated '60s shape for fall -- Michael Kors and Peter Som have both cited "Mad Men" as inspiration for their women's clothes.

The sluggish economy is playing a role too. Higher gas and food costs and fiscal uncertainties have clearly made both men and women cut back on in-today, out-tomorrow trends like wild printed tops. But the threat of layoffs has also forced many employees to dress more formally as a way to hold on to their jobs and look more serious, Cohen said. Women can go back to their closets to find dressier and classic alternatives, but men now have a reason to buy.

"I am dressing up a bit more," said Steve Hale. "If you are keeping up with fashion, people notice and it gives them more confidence" that the financial industry is going to turn around. He said he now spends about $500 a month on clothes, more than twice as much as he spent previously.

Jonathan Singer, 26, who works in high-tech marketing, credits his new wardrobe to helping him land a better-paying job. The Boston resident spent about $2,000 over the past six months on a slimmer-fit suit from Benetton as well as slender shirts from Diesel and French Connection. In the past, he had spent about $300 every six months.

"It always pays to look good," he said. "I had looked in the mirror and never was impressed. I looked like a little kid who was waiting to grow into his clothes."

Now, he says, "I feel extremely confident in the way I look. Everyone has noticed."

Men's interest in updating their wardrobes is forcing merchants to rethink how to market to them. They're seeing a growing number of men shopping for themselves, instead of relying on their wives and girlfriends to buy for them.

Bloomingdale's is rolling out separate areas in the men's department that incorporate tailored clothing with other accessories like ice buckets and gadgets like GPS systems and high-end shaving tools. Meanwhile, Macy's has adding more exclusive lines like tight-fitting Emporio Armani underwear.

Alex Guerrero, vice president of men's merchandising at Dockers, said the company is heavily featuring the new fits -- a slim-cut khaki pant, tested last summer, as well as a newly unveiled straight cut, which was introduced in May and has broader appeal, at department stores this fall alongside its usual fits -- relaxed and classic. About 70 percent of the business is still in the classic and relaxed fits, which is its most generous cut.

The slim and straight styles fit like jeans, while the relaxed and classic fits are more like trousers. For fall, Dockers has also trimmed down its classic shirts and suit separates.

And what about those men who aren't, well, slim? Retail executives insist the new silhouettes aren't just for the skinny.

"It still fits guys who eat meatballs," said Stuart Goldblatt, Macy's senior vice president of merchandising for men's and children's clothes.

Letting It All Hang Out for National Underwear Day (Fashion Wire Daily)

New York - "Im curious how many men are actually packing out here on the runway," joked Lydia Hearst, the host of Freshpair.coms 6th Annual National Underwear Day runway show and party on Tuesday, Aug. 5, in New York.

"Underwear is the foundation," said Freshpair.com president Michael Kleinmann. "Its the first thing you put on, and the last thing you take off at night, so we wanted to call attention to the intimate apparel industry."

More than 10 runway shows from brands that included Diesel, Wacoal, Sean John, Natori, Mundo Unico, Champion, Le Mystere, DKNY, Nautica and Tommy Hilfiger sauced up the square-shaped runway, giving a good view to all the guests of male and female models in their skivvies.

Throughout the course of the evening, like browsing through a catalogue or online shop, the various brands displayed a full spectrum of undergarments, from briefs, boxer shorts, boxer briefs, sports bras, thong styles, lace, satin, cotton - you name it. Some looks, like a tight black t-shirt and matching boxer brief trimmed with neon green worn by one male model, elicited giggles from a group of women. Mostly, onlookers gazed with awe, their jaws occasionally dropping when a particularly handsome model breezed past in tight briefs.

Held at Espace, a club on the far west end of 42nd Street - a street notoriously associated with peep shows in the past - the scene at the party could have been one from the pages of the formerly seedy streets history books, with dozens of buff beefcakes roaming the room or standing on mini-stages as girls with huge smiles on their faces posed for photographs with them, as though at a bachelorette party.

Designer Richie Rich, formerly of Heatherette - his friend Lydia Hearst has often modeled in his shows - was frank about his underwear preferences.

"The tighter the better - I like tightie whities," he said, and revealed that he was sporting striped underwear in celebration of National Underwear Day. He is currently working on his new solo collection "Celebutante" as well as a record, both of which hell debut this September during New Yorks fashion week.

For guests like Russell Simmons, the answer was simple about why he was there.

"Underwear is sexy," he said. "It keeps people moving."

Punk progeny launches "Terrorist" clothing line (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Joe Corre was born to rail against the establishment and now has the store to power the movement.

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

"I suppose Ive always grown up around the idea of starting a shop in order to start a scene," says Corre, whose designer mother has been on the edgy frontline of fashion for decades and whose father managed the Sex Pistols.

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

"Its just a word thats used to describe the enemy. You know, who they dont want you to like today, but maybe those same people they wanted you to like yesterday," Corre said.

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

When Corre was offered a royal honor in 2007 to recognize the success of the Agent Provocateur luxury lingerie chain which he co-founded with his ex-wife, he rejected the title, saying that the then Prime Minister Tony Blair was "morally corrupt."

When his mother decided to use her return to London Fashion Week earlier this year to protest against the U.S. governments continued use of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to detain foreign suspects, Corres lingerie chain designed underpants for the lead model which read "fair trial my arse" across the backside.

Corre insists he hasnt been intimidated by moving into terrain that has traditionally been his mothers turf.

"Shes been down to this store and she loved it," he said. "Essentially, at the root of all thats where I come from, where she comes from. Its the idea that you lead a much more interesting life when you dress up."

BOGEYMEN

The clothes themselves are the work of designer Simon Armitage, better known by his nom de plume "Barnzley."

"I wasnt particularly enamored with calling it Terrorist at first but after a couple of days of rationalizing...I kind of understood it," Armitage said.

The word now adorns the label on the inner collar of traditional Teddy Boy suits, day-glo camouflage jackets and t-shirts bearing the images of some of historys bogeymen such as Geronimo and Napoleon.

Armitage also helped with the design of the store, built to resemble a Victorian slum and named A Child of the Jago after the 1896 bestseller by Arthur Morrison.

"We wanted to do something that was relevant to the history of this whole area," says Armitage, motioning towards the large mural of William Hogarths Gin Lane on the back wall.

Situated in the shadow of a new skyscraper and next to a construction side for a new Underground station, A Child of The Jago does stand apart from its surroundings.

Armitage said they deliberately decided not to launch a Web site for the label in order to draw people to the store.

"If people want to buy some clothes from here they can come here and buy the clothes from this shop," he said.

"It never stopped me as a little kid going to Viviennes shop (on the Kings Road) to buy punk rock gear...I lived miles away. London might as well have been on Mars when I was a little kid."

Corre said that everything today is too available and reveled in the eclectic assortment of items he has collected from a chain mail suit to a prosthetic leg previously worn by a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.

"Weve got an original Eskimo, Inuit bow and arrow," Corre said from a spot in the shop between a stuffed boar and the second hand books section of the shop.

"We have a Hells Angels leg here. Theyre terrorists right? They cause mayhem and frighten everybody," Corre said.

Corre insists the store is no vanity project and that the shop needs to sell its unusual wares to survive.

"This is not some kind of scouts hut shop for us to just have a bit of fun in," he said.

But wild success with the sale of such unusual one-off items could put him in a bind of a different kind.

"You cant suddenly just ramp it up and open a whole chain of these places." says Corre. "Where the hell are you going to find another Hells Angels leg?"

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Model agency Wilhelmina to IPO this year: report (Reuters)

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - U.S.-based modeling agency Wilhelmina is planning an initial public stock offering (IPO) this year, according to a German daily.

Details will be made public within two weeks, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung quoted Wilhelmina Chairman Horst-Dieter Esch as saying in a story on its website on Tuesday.

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

German-born Esch bought the agency in 1988 and still owns 50 percent of the company. Financial investor Brad Krassner bought the remaining stake in 1999.

A spokesman for Wilhelmina declined to comment.

Wilhelmina had sales of 60 million in 2007, the paper quoted Esch as saying.

(Reporting by Nicola Leske; Editing by David Holmes)

Life is a Cabaret at Lingerie Americas' Spring Spectacular (Fashion Wire Daily)

New York - Few trade shows can boast a lingerie runway show as part of their program of events - except, of course, Lingerie Americas, the semi-annual gathering of the intimate apparel industry in the U.S.

In some respects, for those in attendance Lingerie Americas Monday, Aug. 4, show in New York arguably eclipsed the popular televised Victorias Secret Angels show - maybe not in terms of star wattage (no Heidi Klums or Gisele Bundchens here), but it hit the mark as a creatively produced Folies Bergere-like spectacle inspired by the art of cinema, which featured professional dancers and a huge breadth of international lingerie brands all bathed in golden light and reflected in the Art Deco mirrored columns of Ciprianis 23rd Street.

The two-part show, which featured nearly 100 looks from more than 40 brands from their Spring/Summer 2009 collections, opened with a choreographed dance number with dancers outfitted like the stars of "A Chorus Line" in black bodysuits, bowler hats and bow ties, followed by a runway presentation with models wearing French brands such as Aubade, Princess Tam Tam, Simone Perele, Gerbe and Huit commenced, showing the latest and greatest underpinnings find their way to the boudoir.

A second dance number introduced the next section of the show, a collection of American and international brands including Badgley Mischka, Jessica Simpson Intimates, Nautica, Allure Inside Out, Blus and Feraud.

The three-day Lingerie Americas event concludes Tuesday, Aug. 5 after showcasing about 200 intimate apparel and swimwear brands, and included the launch of the Playboy White Label set to hit stores next February in time for Valentines Day, as well as first-time exhibitor Jessica Simpson Intimates.

Scarlett and Penelope and Javier, Oh My! Living Large at the "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Premiere (Fashion Wire Daily)

Los Angeles - Scarlett and Penelope and Javier, Oh My! Living Large at the "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" Premiere By Jenny Peters August 5, 2008 – Los Angeles, CA

It was a seriously glittery night in Westwood on Monday as the too-beautiful-for-words stars of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" took to the red carpet at the Mann Village Theater.

There was Penelope Cruz, who at 34 is perhaps more lovely than ever before, in a subtly beautiful midnight blue Herve Leroux silk gown and Chopard diamonds and sapphires, alongside Scarlett Johansson, her equally gorgeous and voluptuous co-star. She was striking in a long red chiffon dress, providing quite the contrast to Woody Allen, the films director, who looked more like a nebbishy accountant than a Hollywood legend in his yellow button-down shirt and khaki pants.

But all female eyes were on Javier Bardem, the darkly handsome Academy Award-winning actor who returns to his sexy self (as opposed to his frightening portrayal in "No Country for Old Men" that won him his Oscar) in the offbeat romantic comedy set in beautiful Barcelona.

"Javier is so fantastic," Johansson (who gets some steamy sex scenes with him in the movie) said. "Hes so sweet and lovely and is such a great actor – and of course its very easy to looking dreamily, lovingly into his big brown eyes!"

The movies breakout star is Rebecca Hall, who looked positively demure compared to the va-va-voom Cruz and Johansson in a black knee-length Prada dress and shoes; shes also the conservative one in the sexually adventurous story that unfolded to raucous laughter and cheers at the premiere. And that laughter was a slightly unexpected element.

"Woody did spend a lot of the filming, if you asked if it were a comedy, he would say No, this isnt a comedy," Hall recalled. "But I knew (audiences) were going to laugh. The funny about this film is the truth. Its the heart. Its the fact that these are recognizable scenarios. They are recognizable modes of human behavior."

Joining in the laughter and after party-revelry were many familiar faces, from Debi Mazar and Elisabeth Rohm to Sarah Rue, Buzz Aldrin, and Salma Hayek. Woody was ensconced in the VIP room with wife Soon-Yi Previn, happily feeling the positive buzz that energized the place. There were even whispers of the possibility of Oscar nominations for Cruz and Hall; there will probably be more on that after "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" opens on Aug. 15.

Designers sashay from the catwalk to the stadium (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) - The fashion world has finally cottoned on that sportswear is big business with designers competing to make their mark on the Olympics and win a place in the huge Chinese market.

With four billion people expected to watch the 2008 Games, its a dream marketing opportunity for the fashion industry, prompting more designers to outfit national teams and launch sports lines as new sportswear stores pop up around Beijing.

"It is a great opportunity for fashion brands to get involved in something quite big and heroic," said Ligaya Salazar, the curator of a show called "Fashion V Sport" opening at Londons Victoria & Albert Museum this week.

"More and more we are seeing fashion brands getting involved in sports like the Olympics or Wimbledon or the U.S. Open."

Salazar said fashion and sport shared a long history but the direct collaboration only began about 10 years ago after designers noticed people were increasingly wearing sports gear, such as tracksuits and running shoes, on the street.

This opened up a new audience for the fashion world which knew that sports had a greater global impact than any catwalk with fans fiercely loyal to their sporting heroes .

Massive sports brands like Adidas and Nike have always competed for attention at the Olympics but their new rivals are designers previously more at home with a couture crowd.

Designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen are producing collections with sportwears brands and sports figures are heading fashion campaigns, such as English soccer player David Beckham for Armani, or designing their own collections.

Salazar said this trend was reflected at the Beijing Olympics where the fashion stakes have been raised.

DESIGNERS MUSCLE INTO SPORTS

The U.S. Olympic Committee chose Polo Ralph Lauren as their outfitter for the Beijing Olympics, replacing Canadian company Roots Ltd which dressed the team for the past three Olympics.

Canadian retailer Hbc, originally the Hudsons Bay Company, is producing red-and-white hooded sweatshirts (hoodies) and gold collage maple leaf T-shirts with Chinese astrological symbols for the Canadian team.

Rio de Janeiro-based design firm Oestudio joined forces with sportswear brand Olympikus to create the Brazilian outfits.

Many other countries have yet to go public with their outfits which are often kept under wraps until the Opening Ceremony.

But while designers are moving into the arenas, they are also ensuring they back up their efforts with marketing and retail.

For example Polo Ralph Lauren, like many licensees, will also produce Olympics "replica wear" that goes on sale this month as the world spotlight turns onto the August 8-24 Games.

German sports outfitter Adidas opened the doors to its worlds biggest store in Beijing last month as it battles Nike for top slot in the lucrative Chinese market at a time when the U.S. consumers are tightening their purse strings.

The high-tech four-storey megastore in a new shopping centre in the popular Sanlitun area, which boasts another 12 sportswear stores, sells special Adidas collections by Stella McCartney, Yohji Yamamoto of Japan, and an Olympic line.

Shopper Zhang Yan, 23, an English student from Mu Danjiang in Hei Longjiang Province in Beijing for the Olympics, said young Chinese wanted trendy sports clothes for sports and daywear.

"All young people want to these clothes because they are beautiful and very fashionable. Even some older people like to wear them," she told Reuters.

"With the Olympics everyone wants to look sporty as this is the biggest event ever for us and we all want to be supportive."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Feeling No Pain at the "Pineapple Express" Premiere (Fashion Wire Daily)

Los Angeles - "Its so funny, they are piping in the smell of pot to the party," someone commented as the huge crowd at the "Pineapple Express" premiere was herded away from the Mann Village Theater in Westwood and into a transformed parking lot on Thursday night.

But the joke was on them, for Columbia Pictures was not doing anything of the sort at the big bash, despite that scent lingering in the air upon approach. Inside, where writer-star Seth Rogen and his cinematic stoner pals James Franco, Danny McBride, Amber Heard, Rosie Perez, and Gary Cole played the meet-and-greet game all night, there was plenty of faux marijuana all over the place, from a "420 Lounge" set up complete with couches and hookah pipes at the ready (blueberry-flavored tobacco took the place of reefer in those), to the bricks of fake weed piled next to the stoner-food-filled tables.

"I dont smoke weed on set all day. I just want to say that, you know, not all day. After lunch you get tired!" Rogen quipped. The red-hot comic actor couldnt possibly be stoned all the time like he is in the film; hes been too prolific for that. With successes like "Superbad" and "Knocked Up," Rogen is riding high on his Hollywood career; in fact, he will star next opposite Adam Sandler and along with writing partner Evan Goldberg is currently penning the "Green Hornet" script for Warner Bros.

Its a career situation that the Vancouver native Rogen cannot quite believe, despite the fact that hes been on this career path practically since he was born (he wrote his first movie script at thirteen, and has been doing stand-up for as long as he can remember, for anyone who would listen).

"Im very happy and Im very aware that its exceptionally strange whats happened to me. I marvel at its absurdity on a daily basis," he grinned.

For Rogen, a slightly chubby, curly-haired 26-year-old, the "Pineapple Express" premiere was a perfect example of how amazing his life has become. Look one way, and there was Daniel Craig with Satsuki Mitchell on his arm; look another, and Jim Carrey was strolling the red carpet with Jenny McCarthy at his side. Kanye West made the scene, as did Alicia Silverstone, Jack Black, Debi Mazar, Jonah Hill, Jane Lynch, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Amanda Peet, Jason Schwartzman, and David Krumholtz. Rogens mentor and producer Judd Apatow turned up too, with his wife Leslie Mann alongside.