Crazy Fashion

Winter Shoes and Boots

This winter, ankle high booties are hot, hot and hot! Also seen in the runway and fashion magazines are knee high boots, laced-up boots and cut-out shoes.

Former model Tovah Cottle says jail saved her life

• Former top model became drug addict
• Was jailed for trafficking heroin
• Is back making waves in fashion

SHE has been an international model, a drug addict and then a heroin dealer, but it took two years in jail to show Tovah Cottle what she really wanted was a career in fashion.

The 31-year-old is now in her second year of a fashion design course at Brisbane's Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE.

It's a world away from Cottle's 10-year association with drugs and crime that finally ended when she was jailed in 2005.

source >> http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,25512805-3102,00.html

Fashion's retreat from Moscow

Fashion designers are closing their Russian outposts and retreating from Moscow after months of disappointing sales, with Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood among those forced to pull down the shutters.

With the rouble plummeting in value and Russia's billionaires tumbling down the Forbes rich list, Moscow's gilded elite are reining in their spending – with British fashion one of the first casualties.

Vivienne Westwood confirmed this weekend that it has closed the designer's store on the exclusive "Boulevard Ring" – one of the most expensive shopping streets in Moscow – explaining that the shop's paltry returns can no longer justify the city's sky-high rents.

"We closed the store because Vivienne is an independent company – we don't have any big group that supports us – so we can't have a store open just for the prestige," said Carlo D'Amario, managing director of Vivienne Westwood. "In Moscow before the crisis the rent became really high, more than in a city like New York or London. The key is the cost of rent," said Mr D'Amario.

In a country known for its love of ostentatious glamour and status symbols, it seems that understated, cutting-edge fashion has been the first victim of the recession.

While all high-end designers have been affected by the downturn in the Russian economy, which is predicted to decline by 4.5 per cent this year, French and Italian labels appear to be faring much better than their British counterparts.

"Italian and French designers are much better known than the English. They are easy to wear and easy to show off – even people who are far away from fashion know Dolce & Gabbana," said Olga Zaretskaya, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire Russia. "If someone who works in an office buys a D&G bag, people will know it cost €3,000 [£2,700]. If she buys a McQueen bag, it will cost her more than €3,000 and no one will know," she said.

British designers were notably absent from this year's Russian Fashion Week (RFW), which closed yesterday, and which has previously played host to designers such as Julien Macdonald.

"In peak seasons, RFW had 65-75 shows, but this season we saw a decrease in the number of participants," said Alexander Shumsky, the president of Russian Fashion Week. "The fashion markets are down, so brands and designers need to reduce expenses," he said.

Moscow's famous department store GUM, which virtually overshadows St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, has seen the number of shoppers fall by 30 per cent this year.

Happily, the market for British fashion does not look quite so bleak across other emerging markets. Although Vivienne Westwood may be withdrawing on the Russian front, the firm is expanding into Asia; while Alexander McQueen has just opened a new branch in Qatar.

"We are really strong in Hong Kong and Macao, and we are opening in Shanghai and Beijing. We are going to open in other cities in China, and India will happen soon," Mr D'Amario said. 

The Look of NY Fashion Week

Stars like Blake Lively and Leighton Meester set their own trends at the runway shows in New York.

Miss UK Face of Fashion 2009

Miss UK Face of Fashion 2009

The competition gives the chance for 60 girls each month to compete head to head; the top 6 girls each month with the greatest public support have the chance to compete for the prizes, the crown and guaranteed modelling assignments.

The competiiton begins December 11th 2008 with the final held at Woodhall Spa Hotel in 2010. The first prize is £1000 CASH! Other prizes include laptops, beauty products, vouchers, days out and clothing/accessories.

More importantly, each girl that achieves a position in the top 6 for their month, will be promoted by ourselves and put forward for a host of modeling opportunities, including; Print & Print Marketing, Catwalk/Fashion, Wedding Fayres and TV and Radio assignments.

Throughout the competition we're also hosting several open days and events. Our open days give the chance for contestants to be offered paid modeling work as well as have a cost effective 'taster shoot' to help build their portfolios. We also supply prints of all different sizes and can even print your images onto canvas for the ultimate display.