Luxury brands have long claimed that any substandard products that may arise in the course of production are immediately destroyed to preserve the brand's image and reputation for exacting standards of quality. This is why I'm intrigued by a piece in today's Telegraph detailing Chinese claims of widespread problems with imported European designer clothes produced outside of China (Yes, I know. Ironic isn't it?).
Continue reading "Luxury: China - E.U. Politics or Something More?" »

I don't know about you but growing up, I watched my fair share of old re-runs of The Avengers (or Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir if your watched it dubbed in French). It was therefore a total and utter treat to see the Emma Peel-inspired collection unveiled by Jean Paul Gaultier for Hermes this week in Paris.
Continue reading "Fashion: You Had Me at the First Bowler Hat Monsieur Gaultier" »
I've long felt that while slow to embrace the social media revolution, once firmly on board, the luxury industry would impress us all with their creativity and innovation. Granted, it's been a long wait. But one project, born from the fertile mind of reclusive French designer Thierry Mugler, has me feeling rather optimistic.
Continue reading "Social Media: Thierry Mugler is Out of Control." »
I just read some rather interesting statistics about women and social media. Contrary to popular perceptions, it is women between the ages of 25 to 54 who dominate the mobile social networking scene not teenagers. Women are not only dominating social networking but they're dominating social gaming as well - a domain long thought to be the stomping ground of boys and men. A survey carried out across the U.S. and the U.K. found that more than half (55%) of social gamers are women with an average age of 43. Not teenage boys, not men but mature, grown-up women.
Continue reading "Women Are Dominating Mobile Social Networking. Are Brands Listening?" »

Dear Mr. Bailey:
I would like to congratulate you on your Fall/Winter 2010 collection for Burberry. It is quite simply gorgeous. Kudos to you for that. I also admire your graceful embrace of social media. This said, I do have a bone to pick with you.
Continue reading "Fashion: An Open Letter to Christopher Bailey" »
Fashion for Relief: Your Chance to Help Haiti.
Almost exactly two months ago, print, television and online media was saturated with coverage of the devastating earthquake that hit the tiny, impoverished island of Haiti. Heartbreaking images of human suffering amidst mountains of rubble, stories of miraculous survival and heroic efforts to rescue the too few souls lucky enough to have escaped death were everywhere - you couldn't avoid it if you tried. Today, you would be hard pressed to find any coverage relating to the earthquake's aftermath with one exception: Fashion for Relief.
Continue reading "Fashion for Relief: Your Chance to Help Haiti." »
Posted on Monday, March 15, 2010 at 08:00 in Current Affairs, Fashion, Shopping, Social Commentary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: charity, children, earthquake, fashion, Fashion for Relief, Haiti, Naomi Campbell, Net-A-Porter, The White Ribbon Alliance, women