Dior and Everybody

Dior’s new line of luxury will be put to the test when they follow along with Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Prada, in fusing the ubiquitous cell phone with an exclusive luxury brand.

Does a newly diamond-studded alligator casing capture the idea of luxury? Cell phones are a mainstream item that everyone owns. Whether or not it is encased in diamonds or uses alligator skin, they all have the same functionality.

Dior will maintain exclusivity by selling the cell phones at a higher price than its competitors. The company expects the phones to sell best in brand hungry Russia and China. The starting price is $5,100, priced to rival Nokia’s Vertu phone.

Dior is expecting to sell between 30,000 to 60,000 units within the next year; however, competing designer luxury brands sold around 500,000 units. We found that many thought the Dior design resembles floor tiles.

There is a new market being created, one very similar to the high-end industry of sunglasses and handbags. Which ubiquitous item will be next in-line for a brand upgrade. HANNA

Lights on LD Tuttle

Tiffany Tuttle, a California native, founded LD Tuttle in 2005. A shoe and handbag designer, Tiffany Tuttle has managed to take classic favorites and bring about a sexy twist to create a contemporary rock ‘n’ roll flare. Her Spring/Summer line for 2008 takes on metallic and layers it with matted tonal colors, juxtaposed with colors like poppy red and yellow. Tiffany Tuttle’s collection of flats and heels uses elements of architecture with geometrical shapes. Her subtle details of lace, belted straps, and zippers closures at the heel add feminine detail and definition.

Her Fall/Winter line for 2008 takes on dark greys and blacks. Snow white, olive, fuchsia and metallic is added to the line to help break up the monochromatic color scheme. Her collection of boots has created a softer elegance of the male counterpoint. Her leather boots tightly wrap around the legs and when unbuckled or unzipped the boot gently drapes down.

Tiffany Tuttle places great emphasis on recognizable pieces that she brings about through her creative elements – cut outs, contrasting textures, and subtle detail. Her designs are being sold internationally and online. (http://www.ldtuttle.com/home.html). HANNA

Iconique Societas Awards

Launched in 2007 by Joost van Gorsel, publisher of Iconique.com and Melissa Sterry, CEO of Societás – the ‘Iconique Societás Excellence in Fashion Awards’ bring the global spotlight to the best emerging and most influential talent working in the genres of fashion photography and fashion illustration.

The awards jury for 2008 has just been announced and includes acclaimed Dutch photographer Ari Versluis, maverick fashion designer Arkadius, Brit milliner Louis Mariette – dubbed one of the 250 most influential creatives in the world by I-D Magazine, award-winning New York designer NATALIA ALLEN, owner of the UK’s much acclaimed ‘The Illustration Gallery’ – Oliver Jelf, McCann Group’s Head of Innovation Justin Champney, Vice President of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada – Rod Roodenburg, top stylist and regular contributer to Italian Vogue Michael Dye, as well as awards founders Joost and Melissa.

Last year’s awards gained global coverage and entries from fashion creatives in the UK, EU, US, Asia and beyond. Iconique and Societás plan to extend the award categories yet further in 2009 – to embrace the full spectrum of the fashion visual arts.

Entry details for the 2008 awards will be announced soon, so watch this space and Iconique.com and Societas.tv for more information.

The Wonder Block

After being homesick for New York’s small-scale boutiques among San Francisco’s downtown skyscrapers, Scott Lee conceptualized Wunderbloc.com, a website that allows viewers to discover, browse, and review the myriad of New York boutiques by neighborhood. With this website, Lee gives boutiques a uniform platform to represent themselves—to announce store news, display products, and receive consumer feedback. Furthermore, Wunderbloc offers an opportunity for the privately owned boutiques to collectivize and organize community events with one another and others within their area, creating a personal feel and space. Lee gives the boutiques an opportunity to counter the Internet marketing campaigns of chain stores. Because the website organizes by neighborhood, the boutiques have a community feel, resonating with the indie ideals of localism. More than just a list of individual stores, each boutique is a personality, an attribute to the distinct areas of New York. With pictures of storefronts and neighborhood landmarks, the website catalogues the different areas of the city through fashion. Moreover, the snapshots of random streetwalkers (examples featured above) of each neighborhood, labeled fashionistas, give a distinctly human picture of NoLita, SoHo, UWS, etc. The website showcases fashion in a unique way, as an exhibition of authentic lifestyles and communities defined by creatively dressed pedestrians, famed neighborhood blocks, and most importantly small-scale, local boutiques. All in all, Wunderbloc is a counter to the pre-packaged, singular and generic fashion chains across the country. YAO

Member’s Only Boutique

Member’s Only Boutique
It is no secret that the British tend to favor member’s only. Popular private watering holes for creatives include Soho Hotel, Blacks and Adam Street. New York is gaining pace with Soho House, Norwood and Supper Club. On a recent trip to Notting Hill I met Clare Rous, the founder of Rous Iland, a member’s only fashion boutique. While it is necessary to call before arrival, the store is able to keep odd hours at a member’s request. I visited rather later in the evening and was impressed by the collection of affordable high-end fashion from cutting-edge designers such as Noir and Erotokritos. Fun accessories, weekend-glitter and transitional business attire for the working girl. Luxury, practicality, and style crammed into a tiny private townhouse space. A great example of innovation at retail. Rather than follow the formula of competitors, they tried something different. Well done, I say. For more please visit http://rousiland.com/

NATALIA ALLEN

A Case for Warm and Fuzzy

Felt is the oldest textile known to humankind.  While it was probably an incredibly accidental discovery (around 6500 B.C.), Felt continues to showcase its versatility by its matted simplicity.  A recyclable material that far predates all the current eco-buzzwords, Felt isn’t just for kindergarteners.  Industrial uses abound- from insulation to production maintenance to manufacturing material- and it still manages to find its place on contemporary runways.  The Berlin based design firm, Parkhaus, has focused its efforts on Felt as a singular theme, exploring the infinite possibilities of the material.  Take the ‘Simple Bag’ (above) for instance; it’s practical and comfortably usable, but it’s the quiet undulation of chic that makes “simple bag” an oxymoron. Everything about its shape and color quietly muffles the inherent practically of its usage and transforms the piece into “ideas made tangible”. Parkhaus offers a full range of felt fabricated items that share a pleasing balance of design and functionality.  To view the complete collection (including customized options) visit www.parkhausberlin.de .

 

Kenya Robinson

Closed Circle, Open Square

The future of television is online. Increasingly, audiences are viewing programs from their computer and mobile phones. SQUAR.RE TV (www.squa.re) has plans to launch an Internet platform starring life in luxury. SQUA.RE is the luxury-oriented TV & social networking site for people “showcasing their glamorous lifestyles” all around the world. SQUA.RE will mix user-generated and professionally produced content, to showcase unique and new lifestyle trends and allow you to program your very own TV channel. Not the first to make this venture, SQUA.RE will join LX TV (formerly Code TV) and Conde Nast to capture online viewers interested in exclusive lifestyles and brands. NATALIA

Couture Super-Site

Rest assured, the fashion super-site of the future has arrived. Couture Lab (www.couturelab.com) founder Venezuelan-born Carmen Busquets has curated an e-commerce website of luxurious fashion and accessories for men and woman with taste. Each item was selected for its unique craftsmanship, beauty and design. Balancing the fine line of accessibility and exclusivity, Couture Lab sells products in limited quality. Furthermore, some items are available by invitation only. Invited members have the privilege of shopping the entire innovative collection. Not dependent on celebrity endorsement or fleeting trends, Couture lab is a refreshing experience here to stay. NATALIA

Designer Wellness by Donna Karan

Fashion designer and founder of Donna Karan-LVMH; Donna Karan, has launched a new platform for wellness. Inspired by the passing of her husband and lack of balance in healthcare options while he was sick, Urban Zen (www.urbanzen.org) fuses rigorous Western science and Eastern traditional medicine to design a new approach to healing. The platform hosted an event in May that brought together businessmen, designers, healers and doctors to explore the new cultural intersection. Plans for a global event are in the works. Donna Karan continues to be a champion of techno-craft, the Dali Lama and innovative design. In full disclosure, I was a design advisor to the team at Donna Karan on the development of fashions future. NATALIA

The Business of Beautiful Bags

While keeping pace with the hectic schedule of London Fashion Week and The London Design Festival, I hurried into a myriad of shops. Compelled by the sharp window displays, warm atmosphere and level of taste, one shop left a keen impression. As a creative and professional, it is very difficult to find laptop bags that marry grace and functionality. For me, a level of protection, sophistication and cool factor is required. While Tumi is producing interesting technical bags, they are a bit bulky and lack a sex appeal. Alternatively, most women’s designer handbags do not have sufficient protection or the appropriate sizing. As the workingwomen whisks from site-to-site, what can she use to carry her documents, computer and necessities? I vote Bill Amberg. NATALIA

Luxury Retailer, Ebay?

EBay, currently the world’s largest online retailer according to Nielsen/Net Ratings, sells and auctions everything from German lawn tools to signature Hermes bags. The online auctioneer has become a household name with few signs of slowing. Along the way high-end designers believed EBay was no competition for their lavish brick-and-mortars. Billions of dollars later, there is reason for concern. In one month, EBay generated 3 million in sales that included designer handbags from Chanel, Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton, also new high-end shoes, jewelry, apparel and footwear at a deep discount. Increasingly, customers are looking to EBay for designer deals. Luxury brands thrive on a balance of exclusivity and sales. In addition to counterfeit and knock-offs, luxury brands now need to navigate the tempting lure of addictive online auctions. NATALIA