Exclusives

Pratt’s 112th annual Fashion Show on Thursday, April 27 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City

May 17, 2011 by Administrator / 1,986 Views

PRATT INSTITUTE HONORED HAMISH BOWLES OF VOGUE AND PRESENTED THE BEST WORK BY GRADUATING SENIOR FASHION DESIGN STUDENTS AT ANNUAL RUNWAY SHOW IN MANHATTAN ON APRIL 27

Hamish Bowles, Vogue's European Editor at Large,was honored with the 2011 Pratt Institute Fashion Icon Award . The award will be presented to Bowles by Diane von Furstenberg, who received the Pratt Fashion Icon Award in 2006. Funding for the Pratt Fashion Show was awarded in part through a competitive grant presented to Pratt Institute by the Importer Support Program of the Cotton Board and Cotton Incorporated. Pratt Institute will hold a cocktail benefit in honor of Bowles immediately following the show.
"We are delighted to honor Hamish Bowles, who has contributed so much to the fields of fashion and interior design, with the 2011 Pratt Fashion Icon Award," said Pratt President Thomas F. Schutte. "We greatly appreciate the support of our sponsors and event attendees as all proceeds from this event help to benefit the next generation of fashion design students at Pratt," he added.

The 2011 Pratt Fashion Show featured the best work of 18 of Pratt's graduating seniors. The designs shown on the runway have been pre-selected by a panel of fashion industry experts and will span several categories of apparel including women's, men's, evening, bridal, sportswear, and costume design. Showcased will be ready-to-wear looks for both men and women; elegantly-constructed and sophisticated bridal and eveningwear; and inventive costume designs. One of the most prestigious colleges for art, design, and architecture in the world, Pratt Institute is home to the first fashion design program in the United States.

"The inspiration provided by the Pratt environment and the broader creative community of Brooklyn has made this year's collections extremely fresh and innovative," said Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, acting chair of the Pratt Fashion Design Department. "In Pratt's Department of Fashion Design, our world-class faculty not only provides rigorous training, but also encourages students to find their creative expressions, develop their individual design aesthetics, and hold true to their visions," she added

Pratt presents the Fashion Design Icon Award annually to a renowned figure in the fashion industry in recognition of his or her unique style and positive influence within the industry and ability to inspire young people interested in fashion. Bowles is one of the most respected authorities on the worlds of fashion and interior design. Bowles, who oversees all interior design features, writes profile stories, and covers fashion, contemporary culture, and the history of fashion and style for Vogue, will be the sixth Fashion Icon to receive this honor from Pratt, following Catherine Malandrino in 2010, Ralph Rucci in 2009, Carmen Marc Valvo in 2008, Narciso Rodriguez in 2007, and von Furstenberg in 2006.

This year's recipient, Hamish Bowles, is a recognized authority on fashion and currently contributes to Vogue.com under his rubric "The Hamishsphere." He curated the much-acclaimed exhibition, "Balenciaga: Spanish Master," which was held this winter at the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute, New York, and opened this spring at the de Young Museum, San Francisco as "Balenciaga and Spain." He also curated "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2001. Bowles has written and lectured extensively on fashion history, art, lifestyle, and interior design, and he has authored and co-authored several books including Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years (Bulfinch, 2001); Carolina Herrera: Portrait of a Fashion Icon (Assouline, 2004); Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People (Knopf, 2007); Yves Saint Laurent Style (Abrams, 2008); The World in Vogue: People, Parties, Places (Knopf, 2009); Balenciaga: Spanish Master (Skira Rizzoli, 2010) and Balenciaga and Spain (Skira Rizzoli, 2011).

2011 PRATT FASHION SHOW RUNWAY LINE-UP
on Thursday, April 27 at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Manhattan.

SPORTSWEAR
JiHye Wang The Layla
Hannah Peyser Elytra
Abby Dubois Surrounded Bodies
Olivia Y. Choi Modern Armor
Nadia Mohamed Ezili
Sunjee Kim La Jaune Fontange
Megan Jones Poetic Time
MaRu Jung Bohemian Travelers
Alfredo Cabrera Sportswear Award
Stephanie Chudy Pastoral Existence
Maureen Flint Fontanelle

MENSWEAR
Emma Rowe Kings of the Wild Frontier

COSTUME
Sarah Lind Metropolis

EVENING AND BRIDAL
Joana Rigol Metamorphosis
Dara N. Rosen Look Me in the Heart
Outstanding Achievement Award
Melanie Miracolo Love Her Madly
Megan Carlée Frost From Fire
Gianna Lucci In Flux
Renee Hunter Eveningwear Award
Elishah Rho Flight of Fancy
Images by Rene Perez.
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DIOR AND THE PUSHKIN MUSEUM PRESENT THE EXHIBITION INSPIRATION DIOR FROM APRIL 28TH TO JULY 24TH 2011 IN MOSCOW.

Apr 28, 2011 by Administrator / 1,091 Views

FEBRUARY 12TH, 1947: CHRISTIAN DIOR PRESENTS HIS FIRST COLLECTION AT AVENUE
MONTAIGNE. THE REVOLUTION IS UNDERWAY AND THE NEW LOOK IS BORN. WITH IT, THE
HOUSE OF DIOR ENTERS THE WORLD OF LEGEND.
UNKNOWN UNTIL THAT MOMENT, THE GENIUS DESIGNER WHO REVERED THE FRENCH WAY
OF LIFE ENTERED A TRIUMPHANT DECADE, PROVIDING WOMEN WITH REGAL BEARING
AND A SUBLIME LOOK. SKIRTS WERE LONGER, SHOULDERS WERE SOFTENED AND
WAISTS WERE CINCHED. A DIOR FLOWER-WOMAN BLOSSOMED IN THE POST-WAR ERA,
AND OUTRAGEOUSLY SPLENDID, WAS SOON TO CONQUER THE WORLD WITH INFINITE
GRACE.

NEW AND HIGHLY INNOVATIVE, THE EXHIBITION DEMONSTRATES HOW INSPIRATION
HAS NOURISHED THE HEART OF DIOR FOR DECADES. THIS AMAZING JOURNEY GUIDES
THE VISITOR THROUGH THE DIOR ARTISTIC CREATIVE SOURCES OF FASHION AND ITS
LINKS TO HISTORY, NATURE, PAINTING, SCULPTURE, DRAWING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND
FILM. IT REVEALS HOW AN IDEA, A FEELING, AN ERA, A GARDEN, A PERCEPTION OR
EVEN A SMELL CAN INSTIL AN IDEA IN THE HEART AND MIND, GIVING RISE TO A UNIQUE
CREATION.

IN THIS MAJOR EXHIBITION, THE PUSHKIN MUSEUM SHOWCASES DIOR MAGIC AND
LUXURY WHILST EMPHASISING THE OUTSTANDING HOUSE’S LINKS WITH ART.
THE KEY THEMES OF THE DIOR LEGEND - PAST AND PRESENT - ARE PRESENTED ON A
GRAND SCALE IN ORIGINAL FASHION, SET AGAINST UNIQUE WORKS OF ART. IT IS A
JOURNEY OF CORRESPONDING ELEMENTS AND MAGICAL SYNERGIES, WHERE THE NEW
LOOK IS ECHOED IN WORKS BY PICASSO, MODIGLIANI, RENOIR, CEZANNE OR EVEN
GAUGUIN. NUDES BY VANESSA BEECROFT, MAURIZIO CATTELAN AND ORLAN EMPHASISE
THE GLORIOUSLY MODERN LINES OF THE FEMALE BODY, ACCENTUATED BY CHRISTIAN DIOR.
THIS WALTZ THROUGH TIME ENCHANTS THE VISITOR WITH LUSH GARDENS AND RECOLLECTIONS
OF THE 18TH CENTURY AND THE BELLE ÉPOQUE. MARIE-ANTOINETTE MEETS
JEFF KOONS, BONNARD’S LANDSCAPES CELEBRATE DIOR’S FLOWER-WOMEN AND
AND THE EGYPTIAN GODDESSES FROM SPRING SUMMER 2004 ESTABLISH A RADIANT,
GOLDEN DESTINY.

THE DIOR GRAND BALLS ARE ALSO CELEBRATED IN ALL THEIR GLORY IN AN
ENCHANTED SETTING WHERE INGRES’ ARISTOCRATS ADMIRE BREATHTAKING CRINOLINES
AND HAUTE COUTURE GOWNS. THE VISITOR IS THEN TRANSPORTED AROUND THE
WORLD WITH DIOR VIA GOYA’S SPAIN, MATISSE’S HEADY ORIENT AND OF COURSE,
RUSSIA AND ASIA.

THE WORLD OF DIOR BEAUTY ALSO PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW RENÉ
GRUAU’S STRIKINGLY MODERN ILLUSTRATIONS AND ALLOWS THE RUSSIAN
PLASTIC ARTIST, OLGA KISSELEVA TO CREATE AN INSTALLATION EXPLORING THE SENSUAL
AND SENSORY UNIVERSE OF DIOR PERFUMES.
A MIRROR EFFECT OF DELIBERATE SIMILARITIES LAYS DOWN THE FRAMEWORK OF THIS
EXCEPTIONAL EXHIBITION, IN WHICH THE QUEST FOR IDEAL BEAUTY CREATES THE LINK
BETWEEN CHRISTIAN DIOR, GENIUS COUTURIER, AND THE IMPRESSIVE AND UNEXPECTED
GALLERY OF GREAT MASTERS.
AS MONSIEUR DIOR SAID: “FINALLY EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN PART OF MY LIFE -
WHETHER I WANTED IT TO OR NOT - HAS EXPRESSED ITSELF IN MY DRESSES Read more »
BURBERRY EYEWEAR COLLECTION

Apr 22, 2011 by Administrator / 2,474 Views

The Burberry Eyewear collection builds on the brand’s strong association with Britishness, function and innovation drawing inspiration from the season’s ready to wear and non apparel collections

Key sun styles for women include square shaped styles with iconic Burberry quilted metal inserts on the temples

Key sun styles for men include oversize aviator styles with Burberry check engraved temples inspired by the brand’s strong heritage in aviation

The collection also includes the Burberry Brights eyewear collection which features the first foldable Burberry sun style

Previewed during the Burberry Prorsum Spring Summer 2011 womenswear show, the Burberry Brights eyewear collection draws on the Burberry heritage in function, design and craftsmanship

Optical styles in the collection include styles with facetted temples for men and women‬.

The colour palette for the collection includes trench, black, white, tortoise, oxblood, beetroot, opal, fuchsia, lime, pollen, citrus and spearmint

Burberry Eyewear is available online at Burberry.com and from Burberry stores and selected retailers worldwide

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Food Bank For New York City Annual Can-Do Awards Gala

Apr 9, 2011 by Administrator / 1,492 Views

FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY RAISES $1.4 MILLION FOR HUNGER-RELIEF AT STAR-STUDDED ANNUAL CAN-DO AWARDS DINNER

~ Ebro North America, BronxWorks Honored for Commitment to Ending Hunger

Lucy Cabrera, Ph.D., President & CEO of Food Bank For New York City, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award ~

New York, NY, April 8, 2011— Food Bank For New York City raised $1.4 million at its Ninth Annual Can-Do Awards Dinner which raised $1.4 million for hunger-relief. The event was held on Thursday evening, April 7, 2011, at Abigail Kirsch’s Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River. The Food Bank is the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. Ebro North America President & CEO, Peter F. Smith, and BronxWorks Executive Director Carolyn McLaughlin, were honored for their commitment to hunger-relief. Lucy Cabrera, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Food Bank, received a Lifetime Achievement Award for 23 years of service to the organization. Co-chairing the dinner was Chef/Author Mario Batali and his wife Susan Cahn. Jon Stewart, one of America’s top social and comedic figures, was Can-Do's Special Guest. TODAY Show Co-Host and America's best loved weatherman, Al Roker, hosted. Multi-platinum, Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan, provided an intimate musical performance.

More than 700 people joined Mario Batali, Jon Stewart, Al Roker and Sarah McLachlan to support the Food Bank's fight against hunger, including: Jon Bon Jovi, Jimmy Fallon, Michael Stipe, Mariska Hargitay, Anthony Bourdain, Tom Colicchio, Rachael Ray, Anne Burrell, David Burke, Jill Hennessy, Christopher Meloni, Josh Charles, Hoda Kotb, Isaac Mizrahi, Gail Simmons, Michael Schlow, Joy Bauer, and others.

Auctioneer Lydia Fenet of Christie's took the room to an all-time high for the live auction that raised $257,000. The high-bid on the auction block was a whopping $90,000 X 2 or $180,000 for The Three Castrati. Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio and David Chang (the Three Castrati) will prepare and serve a dinner for 12 in the private dining room of Manzo, Eataly. Six savory courses will be paired with wines selected from the Eataly wine shop and Eataly Chef Michael Toscano will delight the high bidders and guests with passed hors d'œuvres and desserts. And a musical serenade will be sung by the legendary Jon Bon Jovi!

Other auction items included a golfer's dream vacation in Scotland donated by Delta Airlines BusinessElite®; Round-trip on Delta Airlines BusinessElite® to Italy for five nights in a super suite at Rome Cavalieri, plus dining, spa and a private tour of the hotel's prized 1,100 piece museum-quality art collection; and a weeknight escape or weekend lunch for 50, aboard your own private yacht charter, The Lexington from Prestige Yacht Charters, with cuisine by Cesare Casella and wine selections from Bastianich wines.

Jon Stewart took the stage for 10 minutes and spoke about hunger as only Jon Stewart Can-Do! “Applaud yourselves for being here and raising money,” Stewart said to a packed ballroom of Food Bank supporters. “I just want to say to Mario this is the nicest Seder I've ever been to”.

The Can-Do Awards Dinner is instrumental in helping to provide support for the 1.5 million New York City residents who rely on the Food Bank's programs and services. Every dollar donated to the Food Bank helps provide five meals. This is a critically important year for the Can-Do Awards Gala as unemployment remains high and food costs are soaring. New York City residents are being forced to make impossible sacrifices including reducing their food intake and the quality of their food to get by financially.

"Our 2011 Can-Do Award honorees have demonstrated an uncompromising commitment to ending hunger. The Food Bank applauds their efforts and thanks them on behalf of all New Yorkers who are struggling to put food on the table," said Lucy Cabrera, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Food Bank For New York City. "Today, almost one in five New York City residents lives below the federal poverty line — many of whom will turn to us in the months to come. They don't give up and neither can we. With your continued support, all New Yorkers can have a future in which hunger is a thing of the past."

“Ebro North America is honored to partner with the Food Bank for New York City," said Peter F. Smith, President and CEO of Ebro North America. "Ronzoni pasta and Carolina rice have helped nourish New Yorkers for over ninety years. The Can-Do Awards event allows us all to celebrate our significant accomplishments of the past year. Ebro North America looks forward to a continued partnership with the Food Bank to ensure that every New Yorker has sustained access to one of life’s most basic necessities: affordable food.”

“BronxWorks is honored to be a Can Do Award recipient. Our partnerships with the Food Bank have enabled us to keep the safety net strong in these difficult times," said Carolyn McLaughlin, BronxWorks Executive Director.

A special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Lucy Cabrera, who will retire effective May 31, 2011. Dr. Cabrera has led the Food Bank for more than two decades. Under

her leadership, the Food Bank’s mission has expanded beyond food distribution to ongoing support and resources that enable approximately 1,000 community-based member programs to build capacity and connect low-income New Yorkers with much-needed benefits and services.

“Under her guidance, the Food Bank has become the city’s only hub for integrated food poverty assistance, tackling the hunger issue on three fronts – food distribution, income support and nutrition education," said Rev. Henry Belin, Chairman of the Food Bank Board of Directors. "The board and the entire Food Bank staff appreciate the passion Dr. Cabrera has brought to the organization over the years, and her many meaningful contributions.”

“I look back on my career at the Food Bank with great pride,” said Dr. Cabrera. “Our organization has grown from a small provider to one of the country’s largest and most prestigious food banks, serving 1.5 million New Yorkers today. I leave behind an organization that is in a strong financial position, has a stellar reputation, and has an independent research wing. I’m confident that the strength of our member network, a highly committed board of directors, and a skilled and dedicated executive team will take the Food Bank to the next level."

The evening concluded with a special performance by multi-platinum, Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan. For Sarah, music and philanthropy are intertwined. She contributed the track "Hold On" to the 1993 AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative, and performed on the star-studded tsunami disaster relief telethon on NBC, as well as during the concert One World: The Concert for Tsunami Relief. She participated in the Philadelphia installment of the Live 8 concerts, which was one of nine held simultaneously in nine major cities around the world. In addition, McLachlan was a co-founder of the historic Lilith Fair, an all women music festival which donated over $10 million dollars to local and national women’s charities www.lilithfair.com.Sarah also funds an outreach program in Vancouver which provides free music education classes to inner-city youths whose school music programs have been reduced or abolished by budget cuts. Said Sarah, “Music is a gift”. It connects us to each other and to ourselves. Through it, we share our stories and our emotions, and we create a whole new way of communicating."

"Sarah's ability to speak from the heart also connects her to the Food Bank. Much like Sarah's commitment to helping young people and the victims of tragedies around the globe find their voice, the Food Bank speaks for 1.5 million New Yorkers who rely on our programs and services and who often cannot speak for themselves," said Lucy Cabrera, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Food Bank For New York City. "We applaud Sara's efforts and we welcome her to the Food Bank family. At a very difficult time when more than three million New York City residents are struggling to put food on the table, we are honored to have her support. We know her music will lift all of our spirits at Can-Do and beyond."

About the Food Bank For New York City

Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

Photos by Peter Dressel
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OAKLEY STORE OPENING IN TIMES SQUARE in the Heart of New York City

Apr 8, 2011 by Administrator / 1,102 Views

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., April 4, 2011 – Oakley, Inc. today announced the opening of a
new Oakley Store in New York’s Times Square. Debuting in early April, the store will showcase
the latest style creations and performance innovations that enrich the Oakley heritage
of design excellence.

“More than just a destination, Times Square is an experience, and we are thrilled to be
part of it,” said Erik Searles, Vice President of Oakley Retail. “As a launch point for product
innovation and a home of the chic and sophisticated, Times Square is an ideal venue for the
cutting-edge technology and leading-edge style of Oakley. An estimated 26 million visitors
each year are drawn there by the excitement of possibility, and there is a perfect synergy with
what our icon represents,” Searles concluded.

Many of the world’s greatest athletes have made Oakley style their own, harmonizing it
with their personal taste by taking advantage of the Oakley Custom Program. This will be a
prominent feature of the Times Square store, thanks to the addition of an Oakley Custom bar
that will give customers the opportunity to create their own renditions of Oakley eyewear and
goggles. An onsite etching machine will allow them to personalize their designs with engraving.
Oakley has earned worldwide acclaim for seamlessly blending form and function, and the
store will feature the newest fashions and technologies from the Perform Beautifully collection
made for active women. Golfers will have access to the latest styles and the best innovations for
performance and comfort because the outlet will carry a full selection of Oakley’s renowned golf
apparel and footwear.

Oakley Stores give customers a unique opportunity to preview new generations of Oakley
inventions, and the Times Square location will feature debut introductions. This includes the
company’s new Fast Jacket™ sunglass with SwitchLock™ Technology that makes lens
changing quick, easy and hassle-free.
The grand opening will begin with a media event on April 7th. This will be followed by an
all-day customer event on April 9th, highlighted by hourly giveaways. Details will be released
via Oakley Twitter. Oakley R&D will be onsite to demonstrate the superiority of the company’s
performance optics. Additional in-store events are scheduled for the year, including Fashion’s
Night Out in September.

The stores provide a vital link between Oakley and its customers while augmenting the
company’s valued retail partnerships around the world. They serve all retail channels by
educating customers and fueling excitement about Oakley innovation and style.
Located in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Times Square is a major commercial
intersection at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. It stretches from West 42nd to
West 47th Streets and offers a wide range of premium retail outlets, theater entertainment and
much more, lit by dazzling neon and fueled by the excitement of visitors from all over the globe.
Visit Oakley.com to learn more about the company’s sport performance and lifestyle
products, and to find the Oakley Store nearest you.

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