And most likely to be spring/summer most wanted are these amazing sandals shoes from stars favorite, Christan Louboutin.

Be noticed in these amazing 14cm/5.5inches tan platforms heels with the designer red sole signature. The multi-strap peep toe sandals have a 3cm/1inch wooden platform, stitch detailing, and a zip closure at the back.

These Pique Christian Louboutin wonder are available online at Matches for £645 ($1,044).

This year big winners are definitely European Couture designers.

As usual Italian designers were well represented with Armani privé, Atelier Versace, Valentino Couture, Roberto Cavalli and Prada for women and Gucci, Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana for men.

The night big winner Kathryn Bigelow – who took home five Oscars and became the first woman to win the Best Director award – with acclaimed actress and always red carpet winner, Kate Winslet both wore silver Yves Saint Laurent gowns.

The most daring were certainly actress Maggie Gyllenhaal wearing none other than edgy Dries Van Noten and debutant Zoe Kravitz, making a statement in Alexis Mabille.
Matt Damon’s wife, Luciana, surprised everyone in Christian Lacroix and Sigourney Weaver showed that she was still in the game in a beautiful Red Lanvin dress.
Elie Saab was the designer chosen by most promising actresses, Rachel McAdams and Anna Kendrick.

Finally, the trend of the night was definitely ruffles. The most extravagant was Zoe Saldana in Givenchy Couture, the most elegant, fashion icon Diane kruger in Chanel and Demi moore in Atelier Versace.

One of the Italian fashion designer Pierre Cardin closest associates, Jean-Pascal Hesse, has just released a book celebrating the contribution of the designer not only to the fashion world but also to the art world.

While we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Pierre Cardin couture house, this book comes as a retrospective of his work.

The Italian born Cardin is famous for his avant-garde style and his innovative designs (like the “bubble dress” in 1954). He introduced an architectural fashion with a futurist sensibility through his geometric shapes and motifs. The avant-garde designer advanced into unisex fashions, and was a pioneer in the design of high fashion for men.

Overall Cardin has created a new style that revolutionized High Fashion and left his mark in the history of Fashion. And we should not forget that he designed the costumes for Jean Cocteau’s film Beauty and the Beast (1945).

But Pierre Cardin was also driven by art and design so in 1971 he opened in Paris “Espace Cardin”; a place that promotes new artistic talents, like theater ensembles, musicians and others.

Jean-Pascal Hesse, “Pierre Cardin, 60 ans de création”, has been published by éditions Assouline, Paris, and comes in a coffee table book size of 26×34 cm, with in total 176 Pages and 50 illustrations.

Jean-Pascal Hesse is an historian but is best known to be Cardin Group head of press since 1995.

Buy the book online at the edgy Parisian store COLETTE for 65€ (88$).

New Exclusive Membership Option From THE Luxury Concierge Service. Pure Entertainment Group, a bespoke entertainment and luxury concierge service based in Montreal, is rolling out their first ever VIP Membership Program.

Starting February 2010, the new membership enhances clients’ lifestyles where virtually everything is possible. CEO and founder, Steve Edo launched Pure Entertainment Group in 2006, which includes a worldwide network of A-List suppliers and contacts.

Mr. Edo has created once-in-a-lifetime experiences for his clients, ranging from Zero Gravity packages, to yachts in the Mediterranean, to luxury villas for the Cannes Film Festival, Pure Entertainment Group makes it possible.

The company prides itself on being more than a concierge service; they know their customers and treat them as if they were family.

“Our discerning clientele seeks personalization and customization. Now more than ever, our clients seek authentic experiences that are tailored to their preferences,” says Mr. Edo. “We’ve launched this new Membership program to respond to this growing demand.”

Pure Entertainment Group offers three Membership levels, starting at $12,000 per year for individuals or $20,000 per year for couples. The first 20 members to join will receive a complimentary hotel night and dinner at a top establishment in a city of their choice.

For more information to inquire about membership please visit Pure Entertainment Group or call (514) 866-8979.

Pure Entertainment Group

Pure Entertainment Group is a bespoke event management and luxury concierge company based in Montreal, Canada. Steve Edo, CEO and Founder, launched the company in 2006 to become THE luxury concierge service for discerning clientele in North America and worldwide. Pure Entertainment Group delivers the finest lifestyle experiences to its clients and members by offering personalized and customized experiences designed to suit their preferences. Whether a private jet trip around the world, a luxury villa in Capri or a trip into space, the sky is the limit! Pure Entertainment Group’s management model is to listen to their clients’ needs, and to provide exactly that… with a touch of Pure, of course!

Are you dreaming of a Luxury Home? The Italian Real Estate Company Vesta Srl is offering a special solution for your dreams! This Real Estate company offeres currently a building plot for sale of more than 2300 sqm on the shores of Lake Garda (Italy). Situated in the most beautiful location of the lake in Sirmione! The exclusive building plot is suitable for the realization of 1 or 2 luxury mansions, with its land located in a pedestrian area, overlooking the wonderful waters of Lake Garda.

If you are dreaming of a luxury house by Lake Garda, this is your occasion! Please contact Vesta Srl for more more information…

Matches has collected real Chanel antiques and is selling it as a capsule capsule collection now.

Sourced by a licensed vintage Chanel specialist, the latest Chanel beauties are a great representation of Coco’s design. The 13 pieces showed are mostly bags whether quilted or with a gold chain, necklaces and a belt. Each piece is unique and waiting for its new lucky owner.

You can buy the classic re-issue black quilted and gold chain bag for $2′702 (£1′668) exclusively at Matches.

The other products available go from $835 (£515) for the gold logo embossed belt to $3′030 (£1′870) for a quilted briefcase, that can carry your laptop.

Nearly 50 ready-to-wear and couture designers from 40 countries displayed sleek garments in the Thursday night show that ushered in the International Year of Biodiversity in the middle of the autumn/winter catwalk season under way in Milan, Paris, London and New York.

“We have chosen from the best in the world, the best in design, the best in ethics and the best in sustainable practices,” organizer Christina Dean of the Hong Kong-based charity Green2greener told the Geneva audience.

Most of the designs were hand-dyed with natural fibers as did Geneva based and young designer Redley Exantus. She presented a very elegant black evening gown, backless with long sleeves and gloves.
“I was using organic silk for the first time. I thought it would be interesting to strengthen my collection. My clients are very appreciative of the fact that it is made in Switzerland, in great work conditions”, she told AFP.

Peter Ingwersen, a Danish fashion designer whose label “Noir” uses organic cotton fabrics from Uganda, said that consumers were increasingly concerned about the environmental and social impact of their retail purchases.
“Ten years ago it was enough to buy the latest ‘it’ bag. Today that’s not enough anymore. You also want to know how it was produced,” he said. “That is the biggest change that we’ve seen in our business since the hem-lengths went below the knee.”

Ingwersen’s 100 percent organic black dress, made from cotton grown without pesticides, was on view alongside donated items from top designers Thakoon Panichgul of Thailand, New York’s Diane Von Furstenberg and India’s Manish Arora.

A fair trade black and white short silk dress by Edun, the ecological and ethical fashion start-up founded by Irish singer and campaigner Bono, and a pink flower-studded hemp and silk long dress by Brazil’s Alexandre Herchcovitch also featured.

WHAT TO WEAR?

Concerns about climate change, loss of biodiversity and weak labor standards in textiles, particularly in Asia, have raised buyers’ awareness.

Some conventional processes such as scouring wool, tanning leather and bleaching, dyeing and printing fabrics use large amounts of water, energy or toxic chemicals, and emit effluents.

The fashion industry has responded to demand for sustainable styles and natural fibers that look good, said Lucas Assuncao of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, known as UNCTAD.

Eco-fashion now draws in between $150 million and $200 million in sales per year, “an increasingly significant chunk of the market,” he told a news briefing.

British designer Sarah Ratty of Ciel uses a broad spectrum of fabrics that are natural fibers or environmentally produced, many of which are not yet on the radar of most consumers.
“A lot of people when they think of green fashion only think of organic cotton. But there are also a lot of other fibers that we can use like hemp silks, a very green fabric that gives back nitrogen to the soil,” she said.

Anggy Haif, an Eco-Couture designer from Cameroon, has worked for 10 years with natural fibers including raffia, tree bark and wild seeds collected in the forest.

“I started because I saw that in my country modern textiles had overtaken traditional fabrics which were disappearing. It was to revive local artisanship,” he said. “Today the market is in very good shape in my country and is spreading in Africa.”

But the Danish designer Ingwersen said that green fashion could flame out unless consumers find goods they want to wear.

“If we don’t inspire our fellow designers, the end-user and fashion media, then this is going to die within two, three years. It will just have been a really fast fashion fad.”

Source: REUTERS

The last piece to crave for is the D&G sequin dress. It will accompany you through the harsh winter bringing glitter to your life and happiness to your wardrobe. In addition, it will turn out to be your best friend when spring comes…

The sequined short dress has a boat slit neckline and two front-pockets, is unlined and has short sleeves. Buy the dress at YOOX.COM for £ 490.00. (Available for most countries in the world)

This chocolate brown leather intrecciato agenda is going to be your best friend throughout the year. Not only is this heavenly piece of leather art tremendously elegant and extremely fashionable, but it will help you be organized – of course! – and overall, enlighten your everyday life.

The Bottega Veneta agenda with push-stud-fastening strap at side has 2010 diary inserts with gilt trim, a week to view, gold-tone ringbinder center, pockets at front and back, pockets for credit cards, an internal designer stamp and comes in a designer-stamped BV presentation box.

Buy the Bottega Veneta Leather intrecciato 2010 agenda for $ 760 through Net-A-Porter.

If you ask us, this 2010 « it » accessory goes perfectly with the Bottega Veneta Tobacco Intrecciato leather slouch shoulder bag with braid detailing at seam. This beautiful and timeless Bottega Veneta shoulder bag has a top handle, a zip fastening across top, a portable mirror, a suede lining with an internal zip pocket. Buy the Bottega Veneta Large Intrecciato bag for $1,950 through Net-A-Porter.

Please visit Net-A-Porter for more information about the 2010 Bottega Veneta collection.

PPR is a French multinational holding company specializing in retail shops and luxury brands.

The group’s main activity is the retailing business thanks to La Fnac which is the leader of cultural and technological products in southern European countries and Conforama, which is a major player in European home furnishings. Moreover the company owns Redcats Group, a B-to-C (business to consumer) home shopping market in fashion and home decoration.
PPR is also the proud owner of the Gucci Group, one of the luxury goods industry leading groups with such brands as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Boucheron, Sergio Rossi, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney.

François-Henri Pinault is now to proceed with the strategy he started in 2005 when he was named CEO of the family empire.

Indeed, his wish from the beginning was to create a powerful fashion group. To do so François-Henri Pinault strengthened the group’s fashion and luxury activity: he sold edgy Parisian department store Le Pintemps in 2006 and YSL beauty in 2008 to L’Oréal. Besides he bought Puma in 2007 and formed a strategic partnership with Sowind Group, a Swiss holding company that includes luxury watch firms Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard, as well as the Sowind Manufacture, which produces movements.

Now PPR wants to sell La Fnac and Conforama in order to concentrate more on Gucci and Puma. The company is also looking at possible acquisitions, probably in watchmaking.

To be continued…

Please visit PPR for more information on the group.