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What's lurking in your handbag? [rolex uhren watches]
Fragrance and beauty experts are urging women partying over Christmas, to cull 40 per cent of the makeup and fake fragrances in their handbags, or face putting their health at risk.
Lurking in women's handbags is a host of dangerous bacteria. This includes the most commonly found germ – pseudomonas, which can cause eye infections such as conjunctivitis, as well as staphylococcus which leads to skin infections and the food poisoning bacteria - salmonella and e-coli.
Fragrance and beauty e-tailer, Deane Brooks of perfume-click.co.uk, has spoken to a number of female customers with infections caused by using make up past its sell by date, spraying fake designer perfumes, not cleaning make up brushes and using testers in cosmetics shops.
He said: "Old make-up brushes, especially if they've been festering at the bottom of a handbag, could be riddled with bacteria. It's essential they are cleaned regularly. I've seen cases of conjunctivitis and skin complaints caused by people using old products that should have been thrown out months ago. Similarly fake perfumes can have an adverse reaction on some people's skin and cause an unsightly and uncomfortable rash. Always buy the real thing.
"I'd advise all women to go through their handbag and make sure everything is clean and useable. In many cases, especially over the festive season when alcohol consumption runs high, products are left without their lids on and come into contact with all kinds of things that are in their handbag, and that could cause infections. Think about all the places you leave your handbag– the floor of your car, at the bar, in shopping trolleys, gym lockers and even on floors in public toilets."
Deane Brooks' top tips to prevent contracting an infection are:
Wash make up brushes with mild soap or shampoo every week
Don't keep mascaras for longer than six months
Never share make up
Always buy genuine designer fragrances from reputable e-tailers and retailers
Don't use old applicators with new products
Never use testers in cosmetics shops on your face
Keep eyeliners sharpened to avoid the wood casing scratching your eye
Lurking in women's handbags is a host of dangerous bacteria. This includes the most commonly found germ – pseudomonas, which can cause eye infections such as conjunctivitis, as well as staphylococcus which leads to skin infections and the food poisoning bacteria - salmonella and e-coli.
Fragrance and beauty e-tailer, Deane Brooks of perfume-click.co.uk, has spoken to a number of female customers with infections caused by using make up past its sell by date, spraying fake designer perfumes, not cleaning make up brushes and using testers in cosmetics shops.
He said: "Old make-up brushes, especially if they've been festering at the bottom of a handbag, could be riddled with bacteria. It's essential they are cleaned regularly. I've seen cases of conjunctivitis and skin complaints caused by people using old products that should have been thrown out months ago. Similarly fake perfumes can have an adverse reaction on some people's skin and cause an unsightly and uncomfortable rash. Always buy the real thing.
"I'd advise all women to go through their handbag and make sure everything is clean and useable. In many cases, especially over the festive season when alcohol consumption runs high, products are left without their lids on and come into contact with all kinds of things that are in their handbag, and that could cause infections. Think about all the places you leave your handbag– the floor of your car, at the bar, in shopping trolleys, gym lockers and even on floors in public toilets."
Deane Brooks' top tips to prevent contracting an infection are:
Wash make up brushes with mild soap or shampoo every week
Don't keep mascaras for longer than six months
Never share make up
Always buy genuine designer fragrances from reputable e-tailers and retailers
Don't use old applicators with new products
Never use testers in cosmetics shops on your face
Keep eyeliners sharpened to avoid the wood casing scratching your eye
Dressing the Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher's wardrobe was every bit as savvily contrived as that famous voice [women handbags]
'I may be persuaded to surrender the hat,' says Meryl Streep in the trailer of her soon-to-be-blockbuster, The Iron Lady. 'The pearls, however, are absolutely non-negotiable.'
It is a telling insight into the attention to detail Margaret Thatcher put into a wardrobe that gave the impression of being irrelevant - just like her softening accent.
The Prime Minister put a lot of thought into those royal-blue power suits - as did her advisers - and their choices are making an unlikely comeback on the high streets and on the catwalks.
The daughter of a dressmaker, Lady Thatcher and her sister, Muriel, grew up wearing home made clothes.
It was not until Thatcher met her wealthy future husband, Denis, that she could afford to spend a lot of money on outfits. She soon forged her trademark style of colourful suits, hats, handbags and - of course - those pearls.
Image advisers helped her to develop her style - Gordon Reece famously persuaded her to ditch those easily-to-mock hats while he was working on making her accent more appealing to the masses.
However Thatcher was not going to budge over that pearl necklace, which Denis had given her when her twins were born in 1953.
'The star-makers may have told her what to wear,' Abi Morgan, The Iron Lady's scriptwriter, told The Telegraph, 'but she already knew how to dress - she was of that generation of women trained to appear in a certain way, hair set, with a proper hat, gloves, bag and shoes.
'The grooming was very regal, and her uniform had a regality about it. And don't forget, she'd grown up at the front of the shop, dressed for work, never in anything less formal than a twinset - and certainly never in trousers.'
As an MP in opposition, Thatcher was smart and a little bit modern - she dared to bare her arms - and the suits were blue not black.
When Thatcher first came into power, she seemed keep to emphasise her status as the first woman Prime Minister, sometimes resorting to unflattering, frumpy frocks.
But after winning her second term, the suits became bolder, brighter and more structured.
Like her pearls, pussybows were an adornment Thatcher has often returned to - even though they often left her open to ridicule.
They were an affirmation of her femininity. The suits may have meant business, but the bows showed her softer size.
It is a telling insight into the attention to detail Margaret Thatcher put into a wardrobe that gave the impression of being irrelevant - just like her softening accent.
The Prime Minister put a lot of thought into those royal-blue power suits - as did her advisers - and their choices are making an unlikely comeback on the high streets and on the catwalks.
The daughter of a dressmaker, Lady Thatcher and her sister, Muriel, grew up wearing home made clothes.
It was not until Thatcher met her wealthy future husband, Denis, that she could afford to spend a lot of money on outfits. She soon forged her trademark style of colourful suits, hats, handbags and - of course - those pearls.
Image advisers helped her to develop her style - Gordon Reece famously persuaded her to ditch those easily-to-mock hats while he was working on making her accent more appealing to the masses.
However Thatcher was not going to budge over that pearl necklace, which Denis had given her when her twins were born in 1953.
'The star-makers may have told her what to wear,' Abi Morgan, The Iron Lady's scriptwriter, told The Telegraph, 'but she already knew how to dress - she was of that generation of women trained to appear in a certain way, hair set, with a proper hat, gloves, bag and shoes.
'The grooming was very regal, and her uniform had a regality about it. And don't forget, she'd grown up at the front of the shop, dressed for work, never in anything less formal than a twinset - and certainly never in trousers.'
As an MP in opposition, Thatcher was smart and a little bit modern - she dared to bare her arms - and the suits were blue not black.
When Thatcher first came into power, she seemed keep to emphasise her status as the first woman Prime Minister, sometimes resorting to unflattering, frumpy frocks.
But after winning her second term, the suits became bolder, brighter and more structured.
Like her pearls, pussybows were an adornment Thatcher has often returned to - even though they often left her open to ridicule.
They were an affirmation of her femininity. The suits may have meant business, but the bows showed her softer size.
Fake paper bags are the latest buzz in the malls [women handbags]
Users give the impression they can afford to shop at stores selling luxury brands
SHANGHAI - It's not only fake designer handbags that are attracting bargain hunters. Nowadays, the fever is spreading to fake paper shopping bags featuring famous brands.
A random search using the keyword combination of "paper bag" with any famous brand name will find dozens - sometimes more than 100 - of results on Taobao.com, the most widely used shopping website in China.
There are more than 80 online stores selling Chanel paper shopping bags. Some 70 are selling Gucci paper shopping bags.
It is hard to tell whether the paper bags are authentic from the photos on the websites, but most are imitations.
The paper bags are usually priced between 5 yuan ($0.78) and 40 yuan. People selling more expensive bags claim theirs are authentic.
In Wang Xuesheng's store, more than 600 paper bags with a Louis Vuitton logo, priced at 3 yuan apiece, sold within 30 days.
Wang sells paper bags as well as paper boxes and ribbons featuring a wide rage of luxury brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada and Burberry.
He admitted that the paper bags in his store were just imitations of the real thing.
"Most people buy the bags only for the logo," he said. "In fact, if you take a close look at the bag, you will easily discover that the material is different from authentic ones."
Wang is an owner of a paper-packing factory in Guangzhou. The online store, which has been open for seven months, is just his sideline.
"Although the sales volume is high, the profit is limited. The store earns less than 200 yuan a day despite its 50 percent profit mark-up," he said.
"I used to produce paper bags for people who had created their own brands for online stores but later I noticed an increasing demand for paper bags with logos from high-end goods," he said, adding that the most popular brands in his store are Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
"In the beginning, my clients were mostly people who sell fake handbags. Later, we gradually won more independent customers," he said.
Many people expressed doubts about the appeal of the fake paper bags.
"I'm really surprised that there should be such things for sale. I just can't figure out a single reason to buy those paper bags," said Tang Yuemin, a 25-year-old office worker who works for a German company in Shanghai.
"I don't think people need the logo to make themselves appear wealthy," she said.
But the buyers have their reasons.
"Paper bags with a famous logo are better looking than ordinary ones. I use them to carry things or to contain presents for my friends. They are of good quality and very cheap," said Yang Xiaoya, an office worker in Shanghai, who buys several paper bags at a time, one Gucci, one Dior and four Louis Vuitton.
In some other stores, the owners even provide fake purchase receipts. They can print the article number, price and purchase date at a customer's request on the receipt templates of the famous brands' outlets in Hong Kong and France.
"Selling a fake paper bag is an infringement of the famous brands' intellectual property rights. However, since there is a lack of an effective supervision system for the online shopping platform, it's hard to investigate those stores," said Mo Daiqing, a senior analyst with Hangzhou-based China E-commerce Research Center.
"A major potential risk is that the fake packing and purchase receipts could be used by some purchasing agents to cheat their customers," she added.
SHANGHAI - It's not only fake designer handbags that are attracting bargain hunters. Nowadays, the fever is spreading to fake paper shopping bags featuring famous brands.
A random search using the keyword combination of "paper bag" with any famous brand name will find dozens - sometimes more than 100 - of results on Taobao.com, the most widely used shopping website in China.
There are more than 80 online stores selling Chanel paper shopping bags. Some 70 are selling Gucci paper shopping bags.
It is hard to tell whether the paper bags are authentic from the photos on the websites, but most are imitations.
The paper bags are usually priced between 5 yuan ($0.78) and 40 yuan. People selling more expensive bags claim theirs are authentic.
In Wang Xuesheng's store, more than 600 paper bags with a Louis Vuitton logo, priced at 3 yuan apiece, sold within 30 days.
Wang sells paper bags as well as paper boxes and ribbons featuring a wide rage of luxury brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada and Burberry.
He admitted that the paper bags in his store were just imitations of the real thing.
"Most people buy the bags only for the logo," he said. "In fact, if you take a close look at the bag, you will easily discover that the material is different from authentic ones."
Wang is an owner of a paper-packing factory in Guangzhou. The online store, which has been open for seven months, is just his sideline.
"Although the sales volume is high, the profit is limited. The store earns less than 200 yuan a day despite its 50 percent profit mark-up," he said.
"I used to produce paper bags for people who had created their own brands for online stores but later I noticed an increasing demand for paper bags with logos from high-end goods," he said, adding that the most popular brands in his store are Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
"In the beginning, my clients were mostly people who sell fake handbags. Later, we gradually won more independent customers," he said.
Many people expressed doubts about the appeal of the fake paper bags.
"I'm really surprised that there should be such things for sale. I just can't figure out a single reason to buy those paper bags," said Tang Yuemin, a 25-year-old office worker who works for a German company in Shanghai.
"I don't think people need the logo to make themselves appear wealthy," she said.
But the buyers have their reasons.
"Paper bags with a famous logo are better looking than ordinary ones. I use them to carry things or to contain presents for my friends. They are of good quality and very cheap," said Yang Xiaoya, an office worker in Shanghai, who buys several paper bags at a time, one Gucci, one Dior and four Louis Vuitton.
In some other stores, the owners even provide fake purchase receipts. They can print the article number, price and purchase date at a customer's request on the receipt templates of the famous brands' outlets in Hong Kong and France.
"Selling a fake paper bag is an infringement of the famous brands' intellectual property rights. However, since there is a lack of an effective supervision system for the online shopping platform, it's hard to investigate those stores," said Mo Daiqing, a senior analyst with Hangzhou-based China E-commerce Research Center.
"A major potential risk is that the fake packing and purchase receipts could be used by some purchasing agents to cheat their customers," she added.
The Business Matrix: Friday 09 December 2011 [women handbags]
Firms fined for fixing prices
France's competition authority has fined Colgate-Palmolive, Henkel and Procter & Gamble a total of 309m for fixing prices of washing powder in France from 1997 to 2004. Unilever escaped a fine because it reported the wrongdoing, the regulator said. Secret talks on pricing took place in hotels and restaurants, the regulator added.
HSBC to take on all burdens of NHFA
HSBC has agreed to take responsibility for all customers of the disgraced care fees adviser NHFA – even those from before the bank bought the company in 2005. It is writing to NHFA customers from April 2004 but people who dealt with the firm earlier should email NHFA@hsbc.com or write to NHFA, HSBC Bank, PO Box 1888, Coventry, CV3 9WN.
Ford brings back dividend payouts
Ford Motor Company has reinstated a dividend for the first time in five years, with a 5 cents per share payout that the US car giant said it could sustain during a future downturn. The payout will also benefit the group's executives and the founding Ford family, who between them hold 40 per cent of the voting stock.
China deal gives Astra a boost
AstraZeneca is buying Guangdong Beikang Pharmaceutical, a Chinese generic drugs manufacturer, as it seeks to increase its clout in the country's growing pharamaceuticals market. The terms of the deal were not revealed, but it will strengthen Astra's position as the second biggest foreign drugs firm (behind Pfizer) in the country.
US jobless claims at nine-month low
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to a nine-month low last week, stoking hopes of a labour market recovery in the world's largest economy. Initial claims for benefits fell by 23,000 to 381,000, the US Labour Department said yesterday.
Chinese buy uranium miner
Kalahari Minerals, the AIM-listed, Namibia-focused uranium, gold and copper producer has agreed to be taken over by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC) for 632m. In a purchase that will boost China's efforts to meet its growing energy needs, CGNPC will pay 243.55p a share for Kalahari.
Schroders cancels Walbrook move
Schroders has made an 11th-hour decision to shelve a move into one of London's largest empty developments as a result of the global financial crisis. The wealth manager had planned to occupy up to 250,000 sq ft in the Walbrook building in the City of London but has decided to stay at nearby Gresham Street for now.
Arnault to buy up Bond St shops
France's richest man and LVMH's chief executive, Bernard Arnault, is in talks to buy three stores on London's most expensive shopping street for 300m. The shops include LVMH's Louis Vuitton flagship store at 17-20 New Bond Street, plus stores let to the bag retailer Coach and stationer Smythson.
Letter bomb sent to Ackermann
An envelope sent to one of the world's most prominent bankers contained a live letter bomb, German authorities said yesterday. The package, addressed to the Deutsche Bank chief executive, Josef Ackermann, was sent to the lender's headquarters in Frankfurt. No one has claimed responsibility for the device.
Fidelity calls in Jeremy Podger
Fidelity is to replace Jorma Korhonen, who took over the global part of Anthony Bolton's 6bn Special Situations fund five years ago, with Jeremy Podger, the head of global equities at Threadneedle. Mr Podger ran the 737m Global Select fund and the 8m Global Extended Alpha fund at Threadneedle.
France's competition authority has fined Colgate-Palmolive, Henkel and Procter & Gamble a total of 309m for fixing prices of washing powder in France from 1997 to 2004. Unilever escaped a fine because it reported the wrongdoing, the regulator said. Secret talks on pricing took place in hotels and restaurants, the regulator added.
HSBC to take on all burdens of NHFA
HSBC has agreed to take responsibility for all customers of the disgraced care fees adviser NHFA – even those from before the bank bought the company in 2005. It is writing to NHFA customers from April 2004 but people who dealt with the firm earlier should email NHFA@hsbc.com or write to NHFA, HSBC Bank, PO Box 1888, Coventry, CV3 9WN.
Ford brings back dividend payouts
Ford Motor Company has reinstated a dividend for the first time in five years, with a 5 cents per share payout that the US car giant said it could sustain during a future downturn. The payout will also benefit the group's executives and the founding Ford family, who between them hold 40 per cent of the voting stock.
China deal gives Astra a boost
AstraZeneca is buying Guangdong Beikang Pharmaceutical, a Chinese generic drugs manufacturer, as it seeks to increase its clout in the country's growing pharamaceuticals market. The terms of the deal were not revealed, but it will strengthen Astra's position as the second biggest foreign drugs firm (behind Pfizer) in the country.
US jobless claims at nine-month low
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to a nine-month low last week, stoking hopes of a labour market recovery in the world's largest economy. Initial claims for benefits fell by 23,000 to 381,000, the US Labour Department said yesterday.
Chinese buy uranium miner
Kalahari Minerals, the AIM-listed, Namibia-focused uranium, gold and copper producer has agreed to be taken over by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC) for 632m. In a purchase that will boost China's efforts to meet its growing energy needs, CGNPC will pay 243.55p a share for Kalahari.
Schroders cancels Walbrook move
Schroders has made an 11th-hour decision to shelve a move into one of London's largest empty developments as a result of the global financial crisis. The wealth manager had planned to occupy up to 250,000 sq ft in the Walbrook building in the City of London but has decided to stay at nearby Gresham Street for now.
Arnault to buy up Bond St shops
France's richest man and LVMH's chief executive, Bernard Arnault, is in talks to buy three stores on London's most expensive shopping street for 300m. The shops include LVMH's Louis Vuitton flagship store at 17-20 New Bond Street, plus stores let to the bag retailer Coach and stationer Smythson.
Letter bomb sent to Ackermann
An envelope sent to one of the world's most prominent bankers contained a live letter bomb, German authorities said yesterday. The package, addressed to the Deutsche Bank chief executive, Josef Ackermann, was sent to the lender's headquarters in Frankfurt. No one has claimed responsibility for the device.
Fidelity calls in Jeremy Podger
Fidelity is to replace Jorma Korhonen, who took over the global part of Anthony Bolton's 6bn Special Situations fund five years ago, with Jeremy Podger, the head of global equities at Threadneedle. Mr Podger ran the 737m Global Select fund and the 8m Global Extended Alpha fund at Threadneedle.
Making a statement [bags]
THERE are three things currently close to Gwyneth Paltrow's heart: her new-found talent in singing, her two adorable children and, of course, the American bag brand Coach of which she was made the ambassador this year.
At least that was what I gathered during a recent interview with the Hollywood star in Beijing, China, where Coach celebrated its 70th anniversary.
Sheer elegance: Gwyneth Paltrow posing for photographs after her interview.
The 39-year-old actress appeared in a simple yet tastefully-woven green dress in a suite room at the 53rd floor of Park Hyatt Beijing. She politely greeted journalists and plunged straight into the interview.
Paltrow – most recently seen in Contagion – played a troubled country singer in the film Country Strong last year and went on to do more singing in her guest role in the TV series Glee. She has also sang at the Academy Awards and performed a duet with Cee Lo Green at the Grammy Awards of his hit Forget You. No wonder there is so much buzz lately about her cutting an album of her own.
"I was offered a few records deals, but at that time, I just felt that it wasn't the right time. I don't know, you never know," she said. "I really enjoyed singing that is related to acting like the Country Strong film about country music and Glee."
Yes, her fans heard it right. She is craving for more but, on the other hand, is not willing to give up her acting career yet.
"I feel like I don't know how to make that transition into a singer on my own. But I would like to do another musical movie or make a record to go with that. We'll see," she said.
Paltrow loves most of the songs from her husband Chris Martin's band Coldplay, as well as songs by Beyonce, The Strokes and The Killers.
She once described Coming Home – the song she performed in Country Strong – as one of her favourite songs. But right now, her favourites are Us Against The World and Charlie Brown from her hubby's band.
Apart from work, she spends a lot of time with her children Apple, seven, and Moses, five. "I'm very silly with my kids. I don't know what's the silliest thing I've done recently but I do chase them around. On Halloween, we were very silly with make-up and I had fun with them," she said.
According to Paltrow, she now has more opportunities to show her lighter side through her acting roles and projects such as her cookbook My Father's Daughter.
"I can express my real self and show my more humorous side. It has been a nice change," she added.
It is certainly not hard to imagine how funny Paltrow can be off camera, though she was sitting with the most upright posture throughout the interview.
Asked what she would do if the world ended tomorrow, she quipped: "Eat some Peking Duck." This made the journalists in the room burst out in laughter.
On her children, she said she would like her kids to learn Mandarin on top of Spanish and French as China is growing to be more influential.
With regards to ageing, Paltrow said with a grin: "I am not afraid of ageing and it's inevitable. I am not that excited about it either. "I am going to fight it every step of the way; you know, but I still think it's beautiful to be a woman who is a real woman who lives life, and who has children and experiences heartbreak and joy, and all that shows in your face."
On the women she admires, Paltrow said: "I look up to women of the older generations like Katharine Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn who really had their own styles. Even someone like Anjelica Houston today who, you know, really wears what works for her yet looks great."
As the new face of Coach internationally, Paltrow is featured in the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 advertising campaign.
Her images with the handbags are used in selected European and Asian markets, including China, Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Taiwan and South Korea.
She described herself as the closest candidate that Coach could find to portray the essence of the brand.
"First of all, I am very much a bag person. We are also both from New York, and I think we both pay a lot of attention to quality and detail.
"Coach represents a very quintessential New York, a classic brand that is both chic and comfortable at the same time," she added.
For the 70th anniversary campaign, celebrated fashion photographer Peter Lindberg shot Paltrow with various bags such as the Madison Gathered Leather Sophia in Parchment and Madison Quilted Chevron Lindsey, on the rooftop of Tudor City in Manhattan.
At least that was what I gathered during a recent interview with the Hollywood star in Beijing, China, where Coach celebrated its 70th anniversary.
Sheer elegance: Gwyneth Paltrow posing for photographs after her interview.
The 39-year-old actress appeared in a simple yet tastefully-woven green dress in a suite room at the 53rd floor of Park Hyatt Beijing. She politely greeted journalists and plunged straight into the interview.
Paltrow – most recently seen in Contagion – played a troubled country singer in the film Country Strong last year and went on to do more singing in her guest role in the TV series Glee. She has also sang at the Academy Awards and performed a duet with Cee Lo Green at the Grammy Awards of his hit Forget You. No wonder there is so much buzz lately about her cutting an album of her own.
"I was offered a few records deals, but at that time, I just felt that it wasn't the right time. I don't know, you never know," she said. "I really enjoyed singing that is related to acting like the Country Strong film about country music and Glee."
Yes, her fans heard it right. She is craving for more but, on the other hand, is not willing to give up her acting career yet.
"I feel like I don't know how to make that transition into a singer on my own. But I would like to do another musical movie or make a record to go with that. We'll see," she said.
Paltrow loves most of the songs from her husband Chris Martin's band Coldplay, as well as songs by Beyonce, The Strokes and The Killers.
She once described Coming Home – the song she performed in Country Strong – as one of her favourite songs. But right now, her favourites are Us Against The World and Charlie Brown from her hubby's band.
Apart from work, she spends a lot of time with her children Apple, seven, and Moses, five. "I'm very silly with my kids. I don't know what's the silliest thing I've done recently but I do chase them around. On Halloween, we were very silly with make-up and I had fun with them," she said.
According to Paltrow, she now has more opportunities to show her lighter side through her acting roles and projects such as her cookbook My Father's Daughter.
"I can express my real self and show my more humorous side. It has been a nice change," she added.
It is certainly not hard to imagine how funny Paltrow can be off camera, though she was sitting with the most upright posture throughout the interview.
Asked what she would do if the world ended tomorrow, she quipped: "Eat some Peking Duck." This made the journalists in the room burst out in laughter.
On her children, she said she would like her kids to learn Mandarin on top of Spanish and French as China is growing to be more influential.
With regards to ageing, Paltrow said with a grin: "I am not afraid of ageing and it's inevitable. I am not that excited about it either. "I am going to fight it every step of the way; you know, but I still think it's beautiful to be a woman who is a real woman who lives life, and who has children and experiences heartbreak and joy, and all that shows in your face."
On the women she admires, Paltrow said: "I look up to women of the older generations like Katharine Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn who really had their own styles. Even someone like Anjelica Houston today who, you know, really wears what works for her yet looks great."
As the new face of Coach internationally, Paltrow is featured in the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 advertising campaign.
Her images with the handbags are used in selected European and Asian markets, including China, Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Taiwan and South Korea.
She described herself as the closest candidate that Coach could find to portray the essence of the brand.
"First of all, I am very much a bag person. We are also both from New York, and I think we both pay a lot of attention to quality and detail.
"Coach represents a very quintessential New York, a classic brand that is both chic and comfortable at the same time," she added.
For the 70th anniversary campaign, celebrated fashion photographer Peter Lindberg shot Paltrow with various bags such as the Madison Gathered Leather Sophia in Parchment and Madison Quilted Chevron Lindsey, on the rooftop of Tudor City in Manhattan.
Woman robbed after walking up to wrong house in Fort Pierce [women handbags]
A case of a wrong address led to a woman being robbed at gunpoint and Fort Pierce Police looking for the culprits, according to an incident report.
On Saturday, the woman said she was driving to a friend's house in the 500 block of North 31st Street. The woman said she knocked on the door but left once she realized she had the wrong address. While returning to her car, she noticed a man watching her and then a second man moved next to her, pointed a black revolver and demanded money. The man continued demanding her money and said that he was going to kill her, the report states.
The men got away with $65 in cash, a pink-and-white DKNY purse with a brown Louis Vuitton wallet.
One suspect is described as wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. The second suspect was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with dark pants.
The woman said she didn't get a good look at their faces because the hoods were drawn tightly.
On Saturday, the woman said she was driving to a friend's house in the 500 block of North 31st Street. The woman said she knocked on the door but left once she realized she had the wrong address. While returning to her car, she noticed a man watching her and then a second man moved next to her, pointed a black revolver and demanded money. The man continued demanding her money and said that he was going to kill her, the report states.
The men got away with $65 in cash, a pink-and-white DKNY purse with a brown Louis Vuitton wallet.
One suspect is described as wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. The second suspect was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with dark pants.
The woman said she didn't get a good look at their faces because the hoods were drawn tightly.
"It's Kind of Insane How Everybody's Here" [women handbags]
Following a final weekend of arty fashion parties—or fashionable art parties?—the tenth installment of Miami Basel's in the bag. It was mostly around that very item—bags, that is—that Pringle of Scotland organized a dinner Friday night, fêting its colorful new accessories collaboration with Liam Gillick. Tilda Swinton flew in to co-host with the knitwear label's design director, Alistair Carr, despite a lingering bug that had her coughing and feeling, in her words, "deaf, deaf, deaf." But that didn't seem to impede the in-demand actress and Pringle collaborator's enthusiasm for the brand's latest team-up. "Pringle has much more the attitude of a kind of art-curator house than, it seems to me, some kind of fashion brand," Swinton told Style.com. "It's about conversation, about something that's constantly moving and constantly built by different people together. It's not about one person hitting the mark, constantly. There's something very loose and evolving about it."
Lanvin, too, has earned the right to pat itself on the back for an exploratory fusing of art and fashion—and that it did on Friday, with a soirée at the W's much-hyped new eatery The Dutch. For the second year running, the French house partnered with the Rubell Family Collection on a Basel opening; this year's edition was less about Alber Elbaz, who remained in Paris this time around, and more about U.S.-based artists—64 of them contributed works in all, in service of a show titled American Exuberance. "That word has to do with arrival, but I think it's kind of sad," philosophized mega-collector Mera Rubell over burrata crostini and Maine sea scallops. "The being-there can be a more dangerous place than the going-there"—food for thought for Basel participants as the fair and its various sideshows start to feel more established every year.
On the other side of the lobby, Mr. Chow was buzzing with the book party for Culo, photographer Raphael Mazzucco's ode to the female backside. With Andy Valmorbida and Sean Combs (billed as the tome's "executive editor") on the host committee, this particular booty call drew some A-list talent, including Naomi Campbell, Will Smith, and Damien Hirst.
Over at the Standard, Richard Phillips showed off his series of celebrity prints, Most Wanted, in conjunction with Details magazine and Cynthia Rowley and Bill Powers' Exhibition A. Supersized portraits of Leonardo DiCaprio, Kristen Stewart, and co. added an element of A-list glamour to the Miami festivities.
Saturday evening at the Mondrian, MoMA's PS1 toasted star twentysomething artists Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch and threw in a Kim Kardashian look-alike competition for good measure. "It's totally not necessary" to have the real Kardashian present at such a proceeding, argued the museum's Klaus Biesenbach. "And it was really interesting to see how many people who just showed up for the party, not knowing exactly what it was for, could have been in the competition."
Later that night, Gareth Pugh headlined a dinner at Baoli-Vita, where there were pauses in the music (Madonna, Gloria Estefan) so that nude, body-painted waitresses could trot out sparkler bottles of Champagne. Host Byrdie Bell left early to nurse a case of food poisoning. (By this point in the week, Swinton was hardly the only ailing reveler making rounds.) Pugh, visiting the fair for the first time this year, offered his first impression: "It's kind of insane how everybody's here." And he wasn't just talking about fellow dinner guests Maryna Linchuk and Lily Donaldson, either. "We ran into my boyfriend's cousin, very oddly. Well, actually, it's not that odd," Pugh decided. "She works for Louis Vuitton."
Lanvin, too, has earned the right to pat itself on the back for an exploratory fusing of art and fashion—and that it did on Friday, with a soirée at the W's much-hyped new eatery The Dutch. For the second year running, the French house partnered with the Rubell Family Collection on a Basel opening; this year's edition was less about Alber Elbaz, who remained in Paris this time around, and more about U.S.-based artists—64 of them contributed works in all, in service of a show titled American Exuberance. "That word has to do with arrival, but I think it's kind of sad," philosophized mega-collector Mera Rubell over burrata crostini and Maine sea scallops. "The being-there can be a more dangerous place than the going-there"—food for thought for Basel participants as the fair and its various sideshows start to feel more established every year.
On the other side of the lobby, Mr. Chow was buzzing with the book party for Culo, photographer Raphael Mazzucco's ode to the female backside. With Andy Valmorbida and Sean Combs (billed as the tome's "executive editor") on the host committee, this particular booty call drew some A-list talent, including Naomi Campbell, Will Smith, and Damien Hirst.
Over at the Standard, Richard Phillips showed off his series of celebrity prints, Most Wanted, in conjunction with Details magazine and Cynthia Rowley and Bill Powers' Exhibition A. Supersized portraits of Leonardo DiCaprio, Kristen Stewart, and co. added an element of A-list glamour to the Miami festivities.
Saturday evening at the Mondrian, MoMA's PS1 toasted star twentysomething artists Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch and threw in a Kim Kardashian look-alike competition for good measure. "It's totally not necessary" to have the real Kardashian present at such a proceeding, argued the museum's Klaus Biesenbach. "And it was really interesting to see how many people who just showed up for the party, not knowing exactly what it was for, could have been in the competition."
Later that night, Gareth Pugh headlined a dinner at Baoli-Vita, where there were pauses in the music (Madonna, Gloria Estefan) so that nude, body-painted waitresses could trot out sparkler bottles of Champagne. Host Byrdie Bell left early to nurse a case of food poisoning. (By this point in the week, Swinton was hardly the only ailing reveler making rounds.) Pugh, visiting the fair for the first time this year, offered his first impression: "It's kind of insane how everybody's here." And he wasn't just talking about fellow dinner guests Maryna Linchuk and Lily Donaldson, either. "We ran into my boyfriend's cousin, very oddly. Well, actually, it's not that odd," Pugh decided. "She works for Louis Vuitton."
Fans, fare and fashion flair [rolex uhren watches]
In a city bursting with passion and style, Ben Groundwater is quick to indulge.
FRANCESCO walks over to our table, hands wrung in concern. "Tutto bene?" he asks worriedly, motioning towards the plates of risotto and tortellini, wanting to make sure we're enjoying them.
I nod. "Si, tutto bene, very nice."
Advertisement: Story continues below
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Photo: Getty Images
Francesco's face cracks into a smile as he gazes up to the sky.
"Oh, grazie Signor!" he cries in mock thanks to God. "Grazie Signor."
It's all a show, of course, for the happy customers but Francesco's theatrics come from somewhere real. There's a lot of love that's gone into these simple dishes at his eponymous Milan restaurant, Papa Francesco, and he wants to know that it's being appreciated.
Francesco has passion and it's a great thing to see. But he's not the only one - this is a city of passion. Most people don't come to trendy, aloof Milan expecting to find hearts on sleeves but they're there if you look for them, especially in the pursuits that give the northern Italian city its soul: food, fashion and football. The three F's. Milan's heart beats for these three.
Francesco is passionate but so too are the fans who pack the terraces of the San Siro, Milan's main soccer stadium, every Sunday to watch two of Italy's most successful teams battle for supremacy. Most conversations in Milan inevitably turn to football - who's injured, who's the star, who's going to the game.
Similarly, an obsession with fashion runs through the Milanese veins. Everyone's outfit is chosen as carefully as a football team line-up or an antipasto platter - it's there to be appreciated in this famously stylish city. You are what you wear in Milan; attention to detail counts.
The city's passions might seem divergent but there are places where they meet. Try the Emporio Armani Caffe, in the heart of the city, a restaurant crossed with fashion boutique, the sort of spectacular clash between haute couture and haute cuisine that Milan counts as normal.
Bar della Crocetta is another, more downmarket example. It mightn't be the most fashionable address in town but the food is amazing and if AC Milan, Internazionale or the Italian national football team is playing, you can guarantee there will be a large crowd of men cheering in front of the big screen that's attached to the wall.
Bar della Crocetta is to panini what the city's favourite footballing son, former AC Milan star Paolo Maldini, is to the round-ball game: the ultimate exponent. There are more than 150 sandwich combinations on the menu and if none of those takes your fancy the staff will knock up the combo of your choice. It's an unpretentious little joint in an unpretentious suburb but if you can eat a mortadella panino, drink a beer and watch a football game and not have had one of the most enjoyable dining experiences of your life, something's amiss.
Football, in fact, seems to permeate most levels of Milanese life. It crosses all boundaries - from politics to families, food to fashion, it doesn't take much to dig up an obsession with soccer.
If there was ever a question of the Milanese's commitment to their city's two biggest teams, you only have to look at those clubs' owners. One, Massimo Moratti at Internazionale, is an oil baron determined to lift his boyhood team back to its former glory. The other, a certain Silvio Berlusconi at AC Milan, is ... well, Silvio Berlusconi. Media baron, recent prime minister of the country, possible nutcase. No more need be said.
The city's football rivals are unique in that they share a home stadium, the imposing San Siro, more correctly called the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. The city has a rich history - AC and Inter are equal as the second-most successful teams in Italian football - and there's a match on every Sunday during the season, when the San Siro stands fill with Milanese supporting either of the city's teams or, in the rare case of a derby match, both at the same time.
Even when there's no game on, visitors can take a tour of the famed stadium, wandering through the stands, checking out a football nerd's dream array of silverware in the trophy cabinets and even visiting the changing rooms, which have been designed by their respective clubs' owners: Inter Milan's rooms are simple, reflecting the working-class ethic of Moratti, while AC Milan's rooms are plush, with leather seating and plasma screens, a sign of the more outlandish tastes of the maligned former prime minister.
In a city such as Milan there is, of course, a link between football and fashion, a notion that might seem incongruous in Australia (at least, if you've ever watched a Dally M or Brownlow ceremony) but which just seems to work here. Local designer Giorgio Armani is a well-known AC Milan tragic. The Versace label dresses the Inter players. The fans in the stands might treat football jerseys as fashion statements but everywhere else in the city the dress sense is impeccable. There's not a scuffed boot or ill-considered hem to be found. It's not an overt sense of high fashion, though - it's subtle. It's less Lady Gaga and more Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
To begin with, you don't feel out of place as a traveller in Milan. What's all the fuss about, you wonder - for the fashion capital of the world, no one seems particularly fashionable. Gradually, however, the neat, refined look of everyone around you begins to sink in and within a few days you're feeling chronically underdressed. It almost seems a good idea to drape a jumper around your shoulders, or throw on a natty scarf to try to fit in.
This is the home of Armani and Versace, of course, but also Gucci and Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Miu Miu. Your average Milanese can't afford to wear those labels, of course, but there are options, as the streets around the Duomo - the cathedral and centrepiece of Milanese culture - are lined with boutique stores selling slightly more affordable versions of those world-famous classics.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a good place to begin your odyssey della moda. It's a spectacular building, a huge glass-ceilinged arcade that leads straight from the square around the Duomo.
It houses Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton but also, rather strangely, a mood killer in a McDonald's.
A stroll down nearby Via Monte Napoleone is like a window into a fabulous life you have no chance of leading.
It's Milan's couture capital - you half expect to see Berlusconi go strolling past, or at least Maldini. Ferraris slowly trundle down the slim road; a Lamborghini purrs at an intersection.
You can check off the fashion world's biggest names like a shopping list: Rolex, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Armani, Miu Miu, Ferragamo, Bally ... they're all there. The price tags are astronomical but the window shopping is free.
Fortunately, dining out in Milan doesn't have to be so fashion-forward. Breakfast is usually a simple affair, a quick cappuccio and a cream-filled croissant eaten standing at the bar at one of the city's thousands of cafes. It's not something to linger over - you get in, slam your coffee down, yell and wave your arms at your breakfasting compatriots, laugh uproariously and get out. Lunch is more of the same - a quick panino or a figure-friendly salad and it's over.
FRANCESCO walks over to our table, hands wrung in concern. "Tutto bene?" he asks worriedly, motioning towards the plates of risotto and tortellini, wanting to make sure we're enjoying them.
I nod. "Si, tutto bene, very nice."
Advertisement: Story continues below
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Photo: Getty Images
Francesco's face cracks into a smile as he gazes up to the sky.
"Oh, grazie Signor!" he cries in mock thanks to God. "Grazie Signor."
It's all a show, of course, for the happy customers but Francesco's theatrics come from somewhere real. There's a lot of love that's gone into these simple dishes at his eponymous Milan restaurant, Papa Francesco, and he wants to know that it's being appreciated.
Francesco has passion and it's a great thing to see. But he's not the only one - this is a city of passion. Most people don't come to trendy, aloof Milan expecting to find hearts on sleeves but they're there if you look for them, especially in the pursuits that give the northern Italian city its soul: food, fashion and football. The three F's. Milan's heart beats for these three.
Francesco is passionate but so too are the fans who pack the terraces of the San Siro, Milan's main soccer stadium, every Sunday to watch two of Italy's most successful teams battle for supremacy. Most conversations in Milan inevitably turn to football - who's injured, who's the star, who's going to the game.
Similarly, an obsession with fashion runs through the Milanese veins. Everyone's outfit is chosen as carefully as a football team line-up or an antipasto platter - it's there to be appreciated in this famously stylish city. You are what you wear in Milan; attention to detail counts.
The city's passions might seem divergent but there are places where they meet. Try the Emporio Armani Caffe, in the heart of the city, a restaurant crossed with fashion boutique, the sort of spectacular clash between haute couture and haute cuisine that Milan counts as normal.
Bar della Crocetta is another, more downmarket example. It mightn't be the most fashionable address in town but the food is amazing and if AC Milan, Internazionale or the Italian national football team is playing, you can guarantee there will be a large crowd of men cheering in front of the big screen that's attached to the wall.
Bar della Crocetta is to panini what the city's favourite footballing son, former AC Milan star Paolo Maldini, is to the round-ball game: the ultimate exponent. There are more than 150 sandwich combinations on the menu and if none of those takes your fancy the staff will knock up the combo of your choice. It's an unpretentious little joint in an unpretentious suburb but if you can eat a mortadella panino, drink a beer and watch a football game and not have had one of the most enjoyable dining experiences of your life, something's amiss.
Football, in fact, seems to permeate most levels of Milanese life. It crosses all boundaries - from politics to families, food to fashion, it doesn't take much to dig up an obsession with soccer.
If there was ever a question of the Milanese's commitment to their city's two biggest teams, you only have to look at those clubs' owners. One, Massimo Moratti at Internazionale, is an oil baron determined to lift his boyhood team back to its former glory. The other, a certain Silvio Berlusconi at AC Milan, is ... well, Silvio Berlusconi. Media baron, recent prime minister of the country, possible nutcase. No more need be said.
The city's football rivals are unique in that they share a home stadium, the imposing San Siro, more correctly called the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. The city has a rich history - AC and Inter are equal as the second-most successful teams in Italian football - and there's a match on every Sunday during the season, when the San Siro stands fill with Milanese supporting either of the city's teams or, in the rare case of a derby match, both at the same time.
Even when there's no game on, visitors can take a tour of the famed stadium, wandering through the stands, checking out a football nerd's dream array of silverware in the trophy cabinets and even visiting the changing rooms, which have been designed by their respective clubs' owners: Inter Milan's rooms are simple, reflecting the working-class ethic of Moratti, while AC Milan's rooms are plush, with leather seating and plasma screens, a sign of the more outlandish tastes of the maligned former prime minister.
In a city such as Milan there is, of course, a link between football and fashion, a notion that might seem incongruous in Australia (at least, if you've ever watched a Dally M or Brownlow ceremony) but which just seems to work here. Local designer Giorgio Armani is a well-known AC Milan tragic. The Versace label dresses the Inter players. The fans in the stands might treat football jerseys as fashion statements but everywhere else in the city the dress sense is impeccable. There's not a scuffed boot or ill-considered hem to be found. It's not an overt sense of high fashion, though - it's subtle. It's less Lady Gaga and more Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
To begin with, you don't feel out of place as a traveller in Milan. What's all the fuss about, you wonder - for the fashion capital of the world, no one seems particularly fashionable. Gradually, however, the neat, refined look of everyone around you begins to sink in and within a few days you're feeling chronically underdressed. It almost seems a good idea to drape a jumper around your shoulders, or throw on a natty scarf to try to fit in.
This is the home of Armani and Versace, of course, but also Gucci and Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Miu Miu. Your average Milanese can't afford to wear those labels, of course, but there are options, as the streets around the Duomo - the cathedral and centrepiece of Milanese culture - are lined with boutique stores selling slightly more affordable versions of those world-famous classics.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a good place to begin your odyssey della moda. It's a spectacular building, a huge glass-ceilinged arcade that leads straight from the square around the Duomo.
It houses Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton but also, rather strangely, a mood killer in a McDonald's.
A stroll down nearby Via Monte Napoleone is like a window into a fabulous life you have no chance of leading.
It's Milan's couture capital - you half expect to see Berlusconi go strolling past, or at least Maldini. Ferraris slowly trundle down the slim road; a Lamborghini purrs at an intersection.
You can check off the fashion world's biggest names like a shopping list: Rolex, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Armani, Miu Miu, Ferragamo, Bally ... they're all there. The price tags are astronomical but the window shopping is free.
Fortunately, dining out in Milan doesn't have to be so fashion-forward. Breakfast is usually a simple affair, a quick cappuccio and a cream-filled croissant eaten standing at the bar at one of the city's thousands of cafes. It's not something to linger over - you get in, slam your coffee down, yell and wave your arms at your breakfasting compatriots, laugh uproariously and get out. Lunch is more of the same - a quick panino or a figure-friendly salad and it's over.
Elizabeth Taylor jewelry goes on view before sale [watches]
The legendary jewelry and fashion collections of Elizabeth Taylor, the so-called "Crown Jewels of Hollywood," went on glittering display in New York before a hotly anticipated auction.
The actress, who died in March at the age of 79, had seven husbands during her glamorous life, countless admirers and a passion for jewelry.
The exhibition at Christie's auction house in Manhattan is the last stop on a world tour highlighting Taylor's treasures and the first and last time that the entire collection is gathered in one place.
Thousands of people have already bought tickets to the 10-day public viewing, starting Saturday.
The auction will then run from December 13-16, offering pieces like the 33.19 carat "Elizabeth Taylor Diamond" given to her by husband Richard Burton in 1968, and estimated to sell for between $2.5 million and $3.5 million dollars.
Running concurrently with the live auction at Christie's will be an Internet-only sale of nearly 1,000 items such as jewelry and accessories like designer handbags. Christie's estimates total sales of between $30 million and $50 million.
Another gift from Burton was the famous "La Peregrina" pearl from the 16th century and once adorning several queens of Austria, England and Spain. It is estimated at $2 million to $3 million.
Hundreds of haute couture dresses from Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Valentino, Versace or Yves Saint Laurent, jackets, caftans, handbags and other accessories are on sale and they tell both the story of the star and also the changes in fashion during her eventful career.
The dress Taylor wore to her first marriage is predicted to go for between $40,000 and $60,000.
"It is by far the greatest jewelry collection to be offered in a century," said Marc Porter, chairman of Christie's Americas. "There is such a depth of quality."
The actress, who died in March at the age of 79, had seven husbands during her glamorous life, countless admirers and a passion for jewelry.
The exhibition at Christie's auction house in Manhattan is the last stop on a world tour highlighting Taylor's treasures and the first and last time that the entire collection is gathered in one place.
Thousands of people have already bought tickets to the 10-day public viewing, starting Saturday.
The auction will then run from December 13-16, offering pieces like the 33.19 carat "Elizabeth Taylor Diamond" given to her by husband Richard Burton in 1968, and estimated to sell for between $2.5 million and $3.5 million dollars.
Running concurrently with the live auction at Christie's will be an Internet-only sale of nearly 1,000 items such as jewelry and accessories like designer handbags. Christie's estimates total sales of between $30 million and $50 million.
Another gift from Burton was the famous "La Peregrina" pearl from the 16th century and once adorning several queens of Austria, England and Spain. It is estimated at $2 million to $3 million.
Hundreds of haute couture dresses from Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Valentino, Versace or Yves Saint Laurent, jackets, caftans, handbags and other accessories are on sale and they tell both the story of the star and also the changes in fashion during her eventful career.
The dress Taylor wore to her first marriage is predicted to go for between $40,000 and $60,000.
"It is by far the greatest jewelry collection to be offered in a century," said Marc Porter, chairman of Christie's Americas. "There is such a depth of quality."
Gucci and Louis Vuitton flood Sydney with luxury koalas, crocks and kangas [women handbags]
Sydney's CBD has gone from a fairly mediocre thicket of small-sized luxury shops, fit only for cashed up tourists feeling done with Ken Done to a major, international standard luxury shopping destination in only a few short years.
The next phase in Sydney's posh shopping evolution is marked by the arrival of highly considered major international flagship stores, with design concepts and retail space offerings that are not only contemporary with, but in many cases ahead of, what you can find in Europe, Asia and America.
Rosewood, marble and plenty of warm, shiny surfaces are rolling out over two stories and 7,500 square feet at Westfield Sydney tomorrow, an exploration of a new design concept from Gucci. Straight from the mind of Frida Gianni, the opulent new flagship store contains Gucci's entire offering from silks to childrenswear, handbags, fragrances, and of course men's and women's ready to wear. Excitingly, an exclusive range of Australiana-meets-Italochic accessories, from koala, crocodile and kangaroo key chains (emblazoned with Gucci monogram) to relentlessly cheery bags marked with bold Australian flags will also be sold in the store. This Sydney collection was created by Frida Giannini as part of Gucci's charitable efforts, with all sale proceeds going to the Australian Childhood Foundation.
On Friday, Louis Vuitton have enlisted the help of Cate Blanchett to open the doors to the first Australian Louis Vuitton Maison, on George Street. Open to the public from December 3rd, the store will be the first in the region to offer a Made to Order shoe, and personalised handbag manufacturing - "Haute Maroquinerie" - services. More palace than pad, the Maison is astonishingly expansive (Marion Hume has written a gorgeous walk-through of the store for the Financial Review), and interestingly, will also feature some of the same motifs as Gucci's store. Louis Vuitton have commissioned British artist Billie Achilleos to construct three Australian sculptures from Louis Vuitton leather small goods, his subjects? You guessed it, a koala, a crocodile and a kangaroo.
The next phase in Sydney's posh shopping evolution is marked by the arrival of highly considered major international flagship stores, with design concepts and retail space offerings that are not only contemporary with, but in many cases ahead of, what you can find in Europe, Asia and America.
Rosewood, marble and plenty of warm, shiny surfaces are rolling out over two stories and 7,500 square feet at Westfield Sydney tomorrow, an exploration of a new design concept from Gucci. Straight from the mind of Frida Gianni, the opulent new flagship store contains Gucci's entire offering from silks to childrenswear, handbags, fragrances, and of course men's and women's ready to wear. Excitingly, an exclusive range of Australiana-meets-Italochic accessories, from koala, crocodile and kangaroo key chains (emblazoned with Gucci monogram) to relentlessly cheery bags marked with bold Australian flags will also be sold in the store. This Sydney collection was created by Frida Giannini as part of Gucci's charitable efforts, with all sale proceeds going to the Australian Childhood Foundation.
On Friday, Louis Vuitton have enlisted the help of Cate Blanchett to open the doors to the first Australian Louis Vuitton Maison, on George Street. Open to the public from December 3rd, the store will be the first in the region to offer a Made to Order shoe, and personalised handbag manufacturing - "Haute Maroquinerie" - services. More palace than pad, the Maison is astonishingly expansive (Marion Hume has written a gorgeous walk-through of the store for the Financial Review), and interestingly, will also feature some of the same motifs as Gucci's store. Louis Vuitton have commissioned British artist Billie Achilleos to construct three Australian sculptures from Louis Vuitton leather small goods, his subjects? You guessed it, a koala, a crocodile and a kangaroo.
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