Christian Louboutin - London exhibition
As a result, the 49-year-old said, he grew up with "the biggest love and the biggest respect for women".
A giant 3D hologram of a burlesque dancer greeted footwear-lovers Monday at a playful London exhibition marking 20 years since celebrated French shoe designer Christian Louboutin first set up shop.
The exhibition at London's Design Museum features dozens of the Frenchman's creations, many of them displayed on a 17-metre (56-foot) version of the famous scarlet sole that features every Louboutin shoe.
Lashings of glitter, ruffles and feathers reflect Louboutin's life-long fascination with showgirls, as does an enormous hologram of a glittering stiletto that turns into the sashaying image of burlesque star Dita von Teese.
"But I do not wish to have that evoked in my designs. The idea of someone saying 'Oh my God, how comfortable it looks...'" He shudders.
But recalling how Parisian showgirl friends would stuff their shoes with veal carpaccio to make them more comfortable, he conceded that "to suffer to be beautiful doesn't work".
"It doesn't give you a nice smile," he said. "The aim with his stilettos is to make them "as comfortable as possible for that kind of shoe".
The discomfort does not put off a host of celebrity fans including actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham, fashion designer and wife of English football star David Beckham.
The exhibition takes visitors through the design process, from sketches to prototypes to the factory floor.
Louboutin's witty designs, some of which are displayed with magnifying glasses to allow closer examination, include shoes featuring miniature Marie Antoinette-style wigs, and stilettos made entirely from plastic googly eyes. (AFP Relax News)
Tommy Hilfiger Fetes The Promise Collection in Paris
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| Imany at the Paris launch of the “The Promise Collection” |
Noah, who is a jewelry designer, revealed she has a charitable project in the pipeline herself. She is developing a jewelry collection with women from a community in Suriname. “It will be based on their cultural identity, very ethnic looking. But it’s still in the pipeline,” explained Noah, adding that she hopes to launch it in the U.S., where she is based, this fall.(WWD)
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| TOMMY HILFIGER PROMISE COLLECTION Promise Collection cotton shift dress, £110 |
The Promise Collection, a suite of clothing inspired by designs from various African countries and made from textiles and materials procured from Africa. All proceeds from the collection will go to support Millennium Villages in Ruhiira, Uganda.
Through photos and video, the website features a trip the actress Katie Holmes made to Ruhiira earlier this year. “I was drawn to the project from the moment I heard about it, as its goal is not just to donate funds," she said, "but to give villagers the support they need to create a self-sustaining future.” Holmes was named an ambassador by Tommy Hilfiger and will continue to help raise awareness on the progress being made by the Millennium Villages.
More than a dozen styles of shirts, shorts, dresses and accessories are up for sale in stores across Europe, Mexico, India and the US. You can also purchase on the website which tracks how much will be given through sales and support from Tommy Hilfiger. Items are tagged in different categories based on what the consumer might be interested in contributing to. For example if she was interested in supporting education, she could buy the “Maputo T-Shirt.”
To help inspire people by the progress being made in Ruhiira, a competition using twitter is being held over the next two months while the clothing is available. Consumers are encouraged to tweet how they could help in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and disease and make change for the better in their own community and abroad. One motivated winner will have the opportunity to travel with Tommy Hilfiger and engage firsthand with communities in Ruhiira. See here for more details.
Victoria Beckham turns her hand to car design for Range Rover
"I've stayed very true to myself. I've designed a car that I want to drive, a car that I think David wants to drive," the former Spice Girl told Reuters in an interview in Beijing, where she was promoting the vehicle, late on Sunday.
"I think that though women will drive this car, it has a masculine edge. I think it's very cool," she added.
Beckham, who admitted she had never done a project like this before, said she had learned "an enormous amount."
"And the bottom line is, would I drive this car, like when I'm designing a dress, would I wear this dress? I love what I do. I consider myself so blessed to do a job that I love and this has been a great experience for me," said Beckham, wearing a sleeveless striped dress from her own collection.
She said she searched for inspiration in many places.
"I did a lot of research and not just with cars, old and new, but boats, planes, movie stars, different locations," she said. (Reuters)
HuffPost Style Takes a Look Back at the Year in Pippa Middleton’s Butt
To be fair, the "Crazy About Pippa" TV movie focused on her persona as a whole. (We're sure she's got a great personality!) But since the moment she stepped onto the red carpet at the Royal Wedding twelve months ago, all eyes have been fixated at the famous sib's most enviable feature.
more: HuffPost Style
Carolina Herrera to receive Honorary Degree From FIT
Carolina Herrera will don a cap and gown to pick up an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology May 22 when students of the Schools of Art and Design and Graduate Studies receive their diplomas. Davin Stowell, founder and chief executive officer of the multidisciplinary firm Smart Design, will deliver the keynote address at the Jacob Javits Center North. Earlier in the day, Leslie Blodgett, creator of bareMinerals and executive chairman of Bare Escentuals, will be the keynote speaker for graduates of FIT’s Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology and the School of Liberal Arts.WWD
