Lorre White, The Guru of Luxury

Conical bras are flying off the shelves

Conical bras are flying off the shelves but would YOU wear one - and how do they work?

By Claire Coleman

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1225331/Conical-bras-flying-shelves-YOU-wear--work.html#ixzz0W0I44WHe

Well hello, boys! There's no getting away from it. That is exactly the message that my attire is sending out into the world. In fact, I think the only way I could make it clearer is if I were holding a flashing arrow pointing at my chest.

It's not that I'm striding around the November streets exposing the sort of cleavage that made Eva Herzigova so voluptuous that her Wonderbra ad stopped traffic. Far from it, I'm in fact clad in a very demure cashmere sweater.

Before and after: Claire Coleman in her own bra, left, and the attention-grabbing in a cone bra, right

But it's what I'm wearing underneath it that is causing something of a stir. Because following the news that John Lewis has recorded a surge in sales of pointy bras, I am road-testing one of the aforementioned garments and the results are - ahem - interesting, to say the least.

I suppose I should be grateful that my modesty has - to some extent - been preserved.

After all, the concept of a conical bra means one thing and one thing only to anyone who grew up in the Nineties: Madonna and THAT outfit.

The infamous cone bra corset that Jean Paul Gaultier designed for her Blonde Ambition tour became a cultural reference point, long before we realised that, actually, Madonna wasn't the first blonde to popularise this style of lingerie.

Indeed, in the Fifties, Diana Dors and Marilyn Monroe were infamous for their unnaturally cone-shaped bosoms that helped shape that Fifties icon 'the sweater girl'. Flash-forward 50 years and it looks like this particular silhouette is back with a bang.

OUR PICK OF THE COOLEST CONE BRAS: Red & black Lulu bullet bra, £35, whatkatiedid.com (left)
The prettiest and most wearable of all the bras, thanks to a less-extreme shape and with the lace a more feminine touch.
Pink satin bra, £109, Rigby & Peller, 0845 076 5545 (right)
This was meant to be inspired by old-world glamour, but seemed more reminiscent of a Madonna video. The points needed more padding.
Nude soft non-wired bra, £9.75, johnlewis.com (below)
This is the conical bra for women who don’t want to wear a conical bra. It offered very little support.

Helen Spencer, John Lewis's head buyer of lingerie, says: 'I think we're selling more conical bras as customers take influence from designers such as Louise Goldin, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dolce & Gabbana, who have rediscovered the bra as outerwear in their spring/summer 2010 collections.

'Throughout the last century, the trend for feminine pointy-shaped bras experienced a renaissance following times of a toughened economy, marking a return of unabashed femininity as women seek to have more fun with fashion as a form of escapism.'

I don't know about escapism. The Triumph Doreen bra (£23.50, johnlewis.com) that I'm wearing feels an awful lot more restrictive than my usual choice.

This ain't pretty, sexy underwear.

This is the sort of matronly underwear that is probably referred to as 'a foundation garment'; it's no-nonsense, functional stuff that the empire was built on.

And while, in my pencil skirt, rear-seamed stockings and tight sweater, I'd hoped to be channelling a sort of breathy, Jessica-Rabbit-meets-Marilyn-Monroe vibe, I actually feel more like my old history teacher, Mrs Lewis, who had a bosom so impressive that it could silence a full assembly hall in seconds.

(Admittedly, this might have been down to her position in authority and her booming baritone, but I still believe that her formidable bosom, that she always seemed to wear high, proud and pointed - like a pair of attacking bazookas - added in no small way to the effect.)

I might not feel in the slightest bit sexy with this pair of oversized bullets attached to my torso, but there's no escaping the fact that I'm garnering an awful lot more attention than I usually would in a prim sweater and skirt.

Walking through the office, I'm a little bit concerned that I've inadvertently given an entire desk whiplash, after my two-pronged attack prompts a series of double-takes.

'Wow, your boobs walked into the room before you did,' gasps the photographer.

I pop outside to grab a sandwich for lunch and the man serving me seems to have problems focusing on my face, and on my way back to the office a passing builder shouts after me: 'You'll have someone's eye out with them!'

But when I do a quick straw poll, almost everyone agrees that while it's an eye-catching look, it's just not sexy.

 

More...

• Pointy bras make a comeback as sales of 'Marilyn Monroe' underwear enjoy an uplift
• Unveiled: The anti-wrinkle bra that promises to rid women of crinkly cleavage
• Beauty confidential: Is there a way for the over-40s to wear coloured mascara?
• What you'd look like in... Cameron Diaz's Phillip Lim ruffle dress
• LIZ JONES MOANS: A dustbin lid dress and trousers that made her thighs look chunky... Cheryl Cole's disastrous X Factor wardrobe

'I think it's because when men think about boobs, they think about something soft and round - it's the curves that are sexy,' ponders one man.

'But this is a very aggressive look.'

You can see his point. Who in their right mind wouldn't be terrified with these two instruments of torture bearing down on them?

And to be honest, that decides me. If lingerie doesn't feel good, doesn't look good and men don't find it sexy, frankly what's the point of it?

It might have worked for Marilyn and Jean Paul Gaultier, but despite John Lewis's recent figures piquing my interest, I've got to confess that my interest in these particular twin peaks has, well, peaked.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1225331/Conical-bras-flying-shelves-YOU-wear--work.html#ixzz0W0IEu2Ot

Fashion - Luxury VS Middle Class

In 2007, California-based label, Trovata, filed a lawsuit against chain retailer Forever 21 for allegedly copying its designs. The case involved seven designs sold in Forever 21 stores that were said to look almost identical to garments designed by Trovata. Despite the shocking similarities, Forever 21 argued that they broke no law, claiming: "The design features on the Trovata designs are rather generic and are not protected by copyrights."

American copyright law does not protect the designs of Trovata, or any other designer for that matter, from blatant copying in terms of structure. Last year, Congress passed a bill that made fake labels illegal, but as long as the Forever 21 knock-offs bore the mark of the Forever 21 brand, the designs were perfectly legal. Now, a pending law in the US Senate, the Design Piracy Prohibition Act (DPPA), would give designers the ability to copyright the structure of a design, making the Forever 21 debacle a cut and dry case. Two major trade groups in the United States, The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), are wholly divided about the advantages and disadvantages of this law, however.

The CFDA aims to promote fashion as a branch of American art and culture, and represents many high end, extraordinarily talented designers including John Bartlett, Cynthia Rowley and Alexander Wang, as well as supporting working designers at the early stages of their careers. The Council also sponsors the Stop Fashion Piracy group, and is an important supporter of this proposed bill, which would give a designer full protection of a design—in other words, any kind of knock off would become illegal. Though that sounds good for designers and customers alike, the DPPA is not without consequences.

"Under this legislation, designers would soon find themselves having to operate under a frighteningly confusing and unworkable legal framework," argues Kevin M. Burke, the president and CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. The AAFA represents the public masses as opposed to the private elite. Both are equally important and seem to constitute the internal conflict of the industry's psyche, which is why the debate is so particular. Burke believes the DPPA would hinder a designer's ability to, as he says: "derive inspiration from a variety of sources in order to explore and promote trends."

As of right now, designers are as free to take "inspiration"—and quite a bit of inspiration, at that—from a Marc Jacobs dress as they are from a blossoming tree in the springtime. With the new law, however, America would be pulling itself out of the dark ages, and catching up with the global fashion industry's copyright laws. In Europe and Japan, designers have full protection of their ideas, making knock-offs a matter for the judicial system. Under the new law, clothing designs would become intellectual property like a published book, and taking ownership of someone else's design would be like claiming someone else's words as your own. In short, Forever 21 would be guilty of nothing less than plagiarism.

But Burke's fears are warranted. Intellectual copyright has always been a murky area of study. Who is to say what constitutes the stealing of an idea as opposed to merely seeking inspiration from it? Well, the designers for one thing—they would be given agency in an industry where very little is sacred. The reality of the situation is not quite as black and white as Burke has made it. Inevitably, there will be cases in which the line between inspiration and infringement becomes blurred, but for the most part, the DPPA makes a designer's ideas protected and prevents unoriginality from taking hold of the industry.

And yet, the non-luxury, fast-fashion industry is built around the repackaging of ideas. And why shouldn't it be? Are brand name designers truly esoteric and meant only for the economic elite? That may have been the question even a year ago, but America has since fallen from its position of economic stability and superiority, and that elite group continues to wither in number.

What are we left with, then? Could the DPPA result in the collapse of middle class fashion—the downfall of JC Penny, Forever 21 and likeminded stores? Brand name designers have been working their way into department stores aimed at less affluent shoppers for years, and perhaps the DPPA would only increase this. It could force designers to dig deep in their minds and create something original rather than retreat to "what's hot." Still, if the Forever 21 court case is any indication, the general public is as divided about the issue as the industry is: Trovata Vs. Forever 21 ended in a mistrial due to "irreconcilable differences" among the members of the jury.

—Michael Miller

Fashion Boiled down....

Handbags and shoes, the best friends of women, have good time when competition emerges. XL earrings, necklaces, extra long heels kilometers, exquisite handbags, sunglasses maxi, scarves "foulard" or jewel dress watches for women this season. The time has come to see and be seen

Like most specialists in footwear, the bet of the season is to continue raising the heels centimeters. It seems that like dizziness, some with unbelievable heights. It is also still carrying platforms. The heels will be very low.

In Paris we are to revert to the'80s, and we know what they are convincing. Black and white, in blazer and straw costumes and models, but at night when you can experience the intensity of this that is retro.

But the tribute to the decade is done with some inspiration in the future, reflecting the eclecticism of a fashion trend that mixes and blends the modern and ancient times, always surprising additions to the East, interspersed with the Western-oriented mingling of cultures.

Supplements also claim the beauty of African art. In tribute to its customs and people, the black continent colonises our wardrobes: python skins, crocodile, though they are imitation, tribal maxi beads bracelets and necklaces and earrings from colorful ethnic what most have been already shown in international gateways. Do not forget it has become imperative.

The bags, with many modern women who have ipod, mobile phone or even portable minicomputer inside, have a clear trend: the maxi bag.

Will handle short, long-handle bags, baguettes, geometrical, rigid and very extravagant and flashy.

As for earrings and necklaces will be taken very, very long, the first, and very large and ostentatious seconds. The premium on the tribal grounds and walkways maxi is also fashionable in these gadgets.

Other references are fashionable tinted glass for glasses, yes, preferably large.

The idea of international couturiers ons in question show a woman is refined, elegant and above all feminine. Supplements become, therefore, essential. Not forget the hankies "foulard", carried in several shades and big watches or jewelry. All show a woman feminine and modern.

Gustavo Monagas

Top 10 Fashion Brands - Too much sameness.

Top 10 Fashion Brands

In 2009 Brand Keys Fashion Index

Consumers Seek Value, Turn to Real Brands American Brands Like Lauren, J. Crew, & Levi's

NEW YORK NY May 11 -Over the past three years consumers' attitudes towards fashion brands have changed significantly, with some American brands beneficiaries of these shifts, according to Brand Keys Inc., the New York-based brand and customer loyalty research consultancy (

www.brandkeys.com

), which today published its 2009 Brand Keys Fashion Index.

Five years ago fewer than 3% of US fashion consumers thought fashion brands and logos were "more" or "much more" important in deciding what clothing to buy. But, according to the 2009 Brand Keys Fashion Index, the brand-to-fashion consumer mindset has changed dramatically. This year's Index found that 14% feel brands are more important when it comes time to decide which brand to buy. "That's nearly twice the importance of brands last year," noted Robert Passikoff, Brand Keys founder and president.

Too Much Samesness in Fashion

"Over the past decade fashion providers went through their satisfaction and quality stages and by now most of the clothing produced is pretty undifferentiated," said Passikoff. Colors and patterns vary from season- to-season, and advertising struggles to produce engaging imagery, but most products on offer to American consumers are pretty much the same,"

said Passikoff.

That sameness has put pressure on brands. While economic news hasn't been good - particularly for the retail sector - the shift toward brand importance indicates that brand meaning has become a surrogate for product differentiation. "Brands that stand for something in the mind of the consumer, and provide real or even perceived differentiation in their eyes, minds, and hearts of the consumer, have an opportunity to provide real value," said Passikoff. "Those that are just 'category placeholders' by that we mean products with little value beyond ubiquitous price points and wide-ranging distributio,n are going to find it harder to survive."

For the total audience of 7,500 men and women, 21 to 60 years of age who participated in the study, the top-10 fashion brands that ended up on the list, on an unaided basis were:

Top 10 Fashion Brands

1. Favorite Sports Team

2. Ralph Lauren

3. J. Crew

4. Armani

5. Levi's

6. Chanel

7. Nike

8. Dockers

9. Donna Karan

10. Tommy Hilfiger

Among the Men's Top-10, 90% of the brands were American, and even included a Macy's House Brand, further indicating the real power behind a brand that has been imbued with meaning:

1. Favorite Sports Team

2. Levi's

3. Ralph Lauren

4. J. Crew

5. Dockers

6. Tommy Hilfiger

7. Armani

8. Brooks Brothers

9. Club Room

Women's 2009 candidates were slightly more International (30%) in their

preferences:

1. Chanel

2. Favorite Sports Team

3. Ralph Lauren

4. J. Crew

5. Armani

6. Donna Karan

7. Liz Caliborne

8. Calvin Kline

9. Dolce & Gabanna

10. Levi's

This is the second straight year in a row when men and women indicated that they care more about fashion brand names, reversing a 7seven-year trend where fashion brand importance had been exceptionally low, or flat. The change indicates that value - or the perception of value - is of much greater import to consumers and to the success of fashion brands.

"In the context of fashion brands and logos the value isn't just what the consumers' dollars buy - but what the brand means and how it fits the consumers' lives and self-perceptions. This is especially true in a marketplace with an excess of similar products with general distribution and bargain basement pricing," said Passikoff. "Lots of clothing labels are competing out there, but - just like the automotive and electronics retail categories - there will be a culling of fashion brands. When the only difference is the label, consumers don't need every retailer offering up the same black tee shirt," predicted Passikoff.

Wen Zhou, CEO of 3.1 Phillip Lim. Photo: Akira Yamada

NEW YORK, United States — Mention the name Wen Zhou to the average fashion fanatic on the street, or even ‘important’ fashion editors, and they may shrug their sh0ulders, not recognising the name. But, mention her name to fashion industry insiders, especially retailers and independent fashion brands, and invariably the words “dynamo”, “amazing” and “genius” will be volleyed right back at you.

As CEO of 3.1 Phillip Lim, Wen has earned the respect of the industry for her entrepreneurial mindset and can-do attitude, propelling the 3.1 Phillip Lim business from fledgling start-up to international fashion business—with retail stores in Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles and annual revenues exceeding $42 million—in just over four years.

Wen’s special skills in fabric sourcing, production management combined with sound business judgment have enabled the 3.1 Phillip Lim business to stake out a positioning in the market that is not easily replicated by others, combining a strong design point-of-view from Phillip Lim with high-quality, made-in-China production and accessible price points enabled by Wen’s strong relationships in China. Together, Wen and Phillip make a formidable team.

I recently caught up with Wen in the 3.1 Phillip Lim studio in New York and over lunch in Paris to talk about how she is coping with the economic downturn and the ideas she has up her sleeve for Phillip Lim in the year to come.

Top Italian Fashion Designers.

TOP ITALIAN FASHION DESIGNERS

Dolce & Gabbana
Famous italian fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana (D&G)

iorgio Armani
Top italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani

Prada
Famous italian fashion designer Miuccia Prada

Valentino
Top italian fashion designer Valentino

Versace
Gianni and Donatella Versace - top italian fashion designers

$1.6 million handbag

If money were no object you could spend $1.6 million on this Hermes Birkin handbag. The handbag was designed by Birkin's Japanese designer GinzaTanaka and features 2,182 diamonds.

From the"if Money Were No Object" site

Lorre loves the classic Birkin Bag by Hermes

The Birkin Bag

Founded in 1837, and originally specializing in horse harnesses for the French bourgeoisie, Hermes now epitomises the dual traits of elegance and style. Natural fabrics have long been a trademark, and whilst Hermes’ silk scarves are world-renowned for capturing the essence of Parisian chic, it is without doubt the Hermes Kelly and Birkin bags that have established the brand as a world leader in the luxury market.

The history of the Hermes Birkin is an enchanting story, subject to many interpretations.  One version: a young Jane Birkin spilt he contents of her bag while seated next to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas in 1984 on a Paris to London flight.  She complained so bitterly about the design of the bag that he had one designed for her.  The Birkin was born.   

The Kelly bag is famously associated with Hollywood actress and later Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly. A classical beauty and icon of her time, Grace Kelly’s attempts at hiding her early pregnancy from a constant flurry of paparazzi involved a large leather handbag by little known maison Hermes. Her loyalty to the bag throughout the years earned her the honor of having the bag re-named after her, and while hundreds of designers have since named their bags after celebrities, Princess Grace Kelly was the original muse.

Today, both the Kelly and the Birkin remain the world’s most sought-after bags, with waiting lists famously stretching into years. Their classic shape, simple yet sturdy structure and wide array of colors have set them apart and ensured that they are coveted by women across the globe. The Birkin also remains one of the very few luxury items that never loses its value, leading many to consider it an actual investment.

Owners of the beautiful creations include Kate Moss, Demi Moore, Elle Macpherson, Victoria Beckham, Katie Holmes and Jodie Foster.

Prices range from £3,000 to tens, and sometimes, hundreds of thousands.  Crocodile Birkin encrusted with pave diamonds can be found very occasionally, for over £100,000.

Which Luxury Brand handbag did wealthy European Women Choose as best. Lorre White, The Luxury Guru.

Our readers on The Luxury Guru Blog are made up of the wealthiest demographics world wide and the luxury brands wanting to meet those needs.  Today learn together what was choosen as the best of the best in handbags by European women. 

Wealthy European Consumers Rate the Most Prestigious Luxury Handbag Brands:

Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton

Paris, FR September 18, 2008 -

Wealthy European consumers rated Hermes the most prestigious luxury handbag brand in the 2009 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey from the independent Luxury Institute. The survey was conducted in France, the U.K., Germany and Italy, as a proxy for Europe. Chanel and Louis Vuitton ranked second and third, respectively.

In Europe, the classic, highly pedigreed luxury brands rule," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. These luxury brands continue to deliver fantastic products. What is clear, though, is that not many of these brands deliver a fantastic service experience, anywhere in the world. Luxury consumers today, and especially in this economic slowdown, demand an experience, not just a great and prestigious product in a great store. The human touch, delivered in the minute details of customer interaction, with expertise, earned trust, enthusiasm and courtesy, are among the elements that constitute a great experience.

By providing the voice of the customer, our impartial surveys are designed to help luxury brands reach that pinnacle of extraordinary customer experiences. Following are the 23 luxury handbags brands rated by wealthy European consumers (alphabetical order):

Anya Hindmarch

Bottega Veneta

Burberry

Celine

Chanel

Chloe

Christian Louboutin

Coach

Dior

Fendi

Gucci

Hermes

Hogan

Jimmy Choo

Louis Vuitton

Lulu Guinness

Marc Jacobs

Mulberry

Prada

Ralph Lauren

Stella McCartney

Tod's

Valentino

The proprietary Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey is the only measure of the prestige of leading brands among wealthy Europeans. A sample of 752 wealthy women, 188 each from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy, were surveyed in-depth online about their opinions. Respondents were recruited and screened to only include those age 21 or older with a minimum gross annual income of €60,000 or £70,000.

The LBSI asks respondents to rate the brands along four main pillars of brand stature:

*Consistently superior quality

*Uniqueness and exclusivity

*Social status as a product consumed by people who are admired and respected

*Self enhancement, in that the brand makes the consumer feel special across all aspects of the customer experience.

In addition, the survey also measures three key outcome metrics, which are compared to the category LBSI:

*Worthiness of a significant price premium.

*Willingness to recommend the brand to people they care about and why, or why not.

*Brand preference as the brand most likely to be considered the next time a purchase is made.

Dubai fashion event Oct 6-10 2008 is private and not open to the general public. Lorre White, The Luxury Guru has access to this event for her fans, so make sure to user her name when booking the evnet.

Dubai Fashion Week, October 6th -10th.

The price for 2 people sharing a Deluxe DBL room including breakfast in a 5 Star Hotel is $8700 and for one person the price would be $4870.  The complete package, as listed in the prior blog posting (yesterday) on www.LuxGuru.Typepad.com comes with the understanding that all of these events and tickets are not for sale to the public and all by invitation only.    you must give Lorre White's name.info@pyratxx.com It is first come availability for these few reserved spots for Lorre's group.  Sign up quickly if you want to partisipate in this amazing fashion event.