Thank Goodness for lady Gaga!

Thank goodness for Lady Gaga! The bonkers blonde from New York has single-handedly rescued a week that on paper should be one of the high points of the entertainment calendar, but instead was fast becoming a car crash of disappointment. Punctuated by the Oscars at one end, and the start of Paris Fashion Week at the other, the dreary, fag-end days of February should be a final raging of all that glitters to carry us into a new Spring. It should be a week of glamorous visual fantasies - of unbelievable clothes on unbelievable beauties - that we mortals can gorge on amongst our very grey reality.

• Lady Gaga's runway photoshoot

• Thierry Mugler autumn/winter 2011 in pictures

• Lady GaGa makes catwalk debut at Paris Fashion Week

But what we got instead was a dark mirror to a dull age of anxiety. The red-carpet outside the Hollywood Kodak theatre groaned with actresses prettily but boringly styled to offend nobody while Paris imploded with the ugly implosion of its most revered designer, John Galliano.

The party felt like a complete damp squib until the platinum blonde vision of Stefani Germanotta, otherwise known as Lady Gaga, arrived on Wednesday night, making her catwalk debut at the Thierry Mugler show.

Her white latex dress and giant lampshade hat over fake pigtails was practically conservative compared with the raw meat dress she sported last year, although it is still not a look in any way likely to be replicated on the high street. Yet, that is exactly what made it so brilliant and makes Lady Gaga, who in just over a year has conquered the world of pop, a joyful blast of fresh air in these fearful times.

The last time a pop star made such a splash on the catwalk was a decade ago when Victoria Beckham turned out for Maria Grachvogel in a pair of hot pants and knee-high boots. It was a crowning moment for the girl from Herefordshire made good but it was an outfit that told the story of the Noughties - how glamour was something that could be attained by anyone, whether through a bottle of St Tropez fake tan or a Louis Vuitton handbag. Indeed pop stars, from Kylie Minogue to Lily Allen, looked just like us, only with better stylists and personal trainers. Even Madonna was more often to be seen in a sensible pencil skirt and carefully ironed hair rather than ripped fishnets or her old conical bra.

But the arrival of Lady Gaga once again has saved us from the tyranny of the safe, the attainable, the mundane, or in the case of Galliano, the downright depressing. The extremity of her look is not designed to make her more beautiful than us mere mortals - it is meant to look unlike anything we have seen before and that going on the constant rate of her costume changes - we will see again. It is meant to inspire us with the idea that anything is possible.

And just as importantly, she is funny. Like a cross between Derek Zoolander and Dr. Frank-N-Furter from the Rocky Horror show, Gaga's style extremity embraces and celebrates the ridiculousness of high fashion.

Despite being awarded three Brits last year to almost unanimous acclaim, I don't think Gaga is a musical genius sent to save the world. Her latest single Born this Way is like a speeded-up rehash of Madonna's Express Yourself and a lot of her songs have a histrionic, sledgehammer quality to them that makes them sound brash and hollow in the cold light of day. But they are all written and sung by her with an impressive operatic commitment and they celebrate pop music as a global life-force, with choruses literally big enough for the world to sing along, too.

And clearly, as she stalked down the catwalk on Wednesday night, arms aloft, she adores being that beacon. No matter how bonkers she might seem, there is an infectious joy to Lady Gaga's delight in being able to stop us in our tracks, to make us gawp and make us sing.

While her fashion extremity seems daring after a decade of dull tastefulness, Gaga stands in line of our most beloved, larger-than-life entertainers - Grace Jones, Freddie Mercury, Elton John and Liberace - performers who saw it at their duty to be exceptional for us.

Our own little bright dress for spring 2011.

10 Hot nail colors for Spring 2011.

John Galliano...His fall from grace?

>> Christian Dior began legal action to dismiss John Galliano this morning, but it sounds like the designer, who helped the house break the billion-dollar barrier, won't go without a fight. According to one of his colleagues, Gallianoplans to fight his dismissal fromDior and has retained London lawyer Gerrard Tyrrell, of Harbottle and Lewis — the same man who represented Kate Moss in 2005 during her cocaine scandal.

In the meanwhile, friends of Galliano said they have "finally persuaded the troubled designer to go immediately into rehab," Suzy Menkes reports, "and that the pace of fashion today, and particularly the rigorous structure of a corporate fashion house, broke the fragile, artistic creator."

As for whether anyone will stick by Galliano, Menkes writes: "Most other designers, preparing their collections for Paris Fashion Week, and stunned by Mr. Galliano’s swift fall from grace, asked not to be quoted on the record. But Victoire de Castellane, Dior’s jewelry designer, summed up the general feeling when she said: 'It’s terrible and pathetic at the same time. I never knew that he had such thoughts in him. Or that he so needed help.'”

With his muscle-bound physique and runway swagger (no reticent post-show wave from backstage for this designer), John Galliano almost upstages the sensational creations he dreams up for the House of Dior and his own line. Almost. A provocateur since his French Revolution-themed graduation collection at Central Saint Martins, Galliano excels at excess. Opera divas, Masai tribesmen, medieval warrior women, Austro-Hungarian royalty, and even the homeless have stomped down the catwalk at his theatrically themed shows (often inspired by his world travels). One of the most avant-garde couturiers, Galliano has stayed true to the spirit of Dior while pushing the house well into the modern age. Cate Blanchett, Charlize Theron, and Nicole Kidman have worn his showstopping creations on some of the biggest nights of their lives.

Born in Gibraltar in 1960, Galliano began his career in London. After launching his label there in 1984 and being named Britain's Designer of the Year in 1988, he decamped for Paris in 1991. It wasn't easy to make it in fashion's mightiest capital: He bunked on friends' floors as he struggled to get his business off the ground. But—with a little help from Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor—his breakthrough came with an all-black show staged at the artfully decaying Left Bank mansion of the socialite São Schlumberger.

In 1995, LVMH placed Galliano in charge of Givenchy's haute couture and ready-to-wear lines, an unheard-of coup for a British designer at a French house. Two years later, Galliano took another lofty step up the LVMH ladder, being crowned design director at Christian Dior. In addition to his obsessive work at Dior—where he oversees ad campaigns and even window displays—Galliano continues to design his own line, producing a dozen shows all told each year and, as ever, romancing his audiences with his knock-down-drag-out showmanship and soaring imagination.

Foreign Brands in India need Localized strategies.

DLF Emporio, New Delhi | Source: DLF

MUMBAI, India — According to Forbes, India has the fastest-growing population of millionaires in the world. But for Western luxury brands operating in the country, grabbing a piece of the market has proven more difficult than anticipated and many are in the process of re-conceiving their India strategies.

Part of the problem is that Western luxury brands don’t seem to understand Indian consumers. When they first entered India, they created splashy advertising campaigns targeting the old money elite. But the results were poor, largely because this customer segment consists of frequent international travelers who overwhelmingly prefer the experience of purchasing Western luxury goods abroad, where brands offer them wider choice, better service and more competitive pricing than what’s currently available inside India.

In response, brands are starting to refocus on new pockets of wealth emerging in regional hubs across the country. But a private report on luxury in India produced by management consultants AT Kearney and The Economic Times revealed that the newly affluent lack sufficient knowledge and awareness of luxury brands to drive significant sales. Furthermore, the current strategy of establishing a large retail footprint supported by traditional mass marketing is not working.

Indeed, in order to succeed in India, luxury brands need to localise their marketing strategies.  This goes further than just putting an Indian print on a bag or collaborating with a local celebrity. A multitude of cultures, languages, religions, festivals, colours and tastes make up this land of 1.1 billion people. So, it’s about understanding the difference between the flamboyant nature of a Punjabi customer and the more reserved nature of a Gujarati, and speaking to each of them in the specific cultural register that they respond to.

For example, luxury brand Montblanc — which successfully operates nineteen retail points across first, second and third tier cities in India — has regionalised all their marketing material.

“There is a clear distinction in customer values between [Indian] states,” says Tanya Kapinda of ID8 Media Solutions, an agency which works with Montblanc’s marketing division in India. “Any time a letterhead, invitation or a newsletter is produced, we customise [it] according to the local language and other aesthetic considerations such as colours used and the amount of decoration.”

When creating invitations for potential consumers in the Punjab in northern India, for example, the invitations are more lavish and the language more boisterous than those sent to consumers in southern India. “It ensures you are connecting personally to your consumer and customers respond to this,” she adds.

Brands like Louis Vuitton and Rolls Royce have also localised their approaches, identifying  important events and celebrations amongst potential clients and arriving with personalised gifts or a surprise car service for the occasion.

Getting traction in the Indian sub-continent has been a challenge for every Western luxury brand that has tried to crack this complex new market. Those brands who are willing to better understand and connect with the local Indian consumer will be the ones who are most successful.

Trends S/S 2011.....what to watch out for.

   The 50´s very lady like style still continues. Fabrics like tweed and leather is going to HUGE next winer...Spring summer also sees an influence of the 70¨s and bold prints. Wearing different s prints go with the norm this season...lace is still there . A lot of white on whites and lot´s and lot´s of bold colors. Double breasted jackets have made a come back and so have jeans gotten higher and more easier. Capri pants are all the rage too. 

    Now u have no excuse to say u don´t know whats in style...so ahead and invest for the spring and summer 2011!! Fashion can be confusing at time, now a days especially with so many looks out there. Just remember what I told u and u will be safe :) 

   Happy Shopping!!

   

Influential Indian Fashion Designers..

The inspiration behind today's Indian fashion is century old traditions, culture, weaving techniques, designs, patters, embroideries and textile. If we talk about the bygone era, Indian textile and Indian fabric was famous world over and was one big reason that many foreign emperors came in India to trade with us. The main attraction was high quality silk and weaving techniques.

We all know that India is a land of diversities and these diversities has blessed this nation with varied textile heritages. Each state or region in India has its own costumes, textile, embroidery and native dress. If we combine all these together, we have an array of costumes, textiles.

Indian fashion industry saw the major boost during late 90's when many of the Indian women participated and won international beauty pageants. They won the biggest titles i.e. "Miss Universe" and "Miss World". Whole world was embraced by Indian beauty, Indian designs and Indian designers.

If we talk about today's scenario, Indian designers have ample scope of creativity to play around mix and match with the textile heritage. These designers are the people who have taken Indian Fashion and Indian Textile on to international level.

Following are the Best Fashion Designers of India : 

See all 5 photos

Ritu Kumar

A lady who has personified the look of an Indian woman. She seems to be in love with Indian dresses, Indian textile and Indian Embroideries. She is one of the famous and well renowned face in International fashion industry. She introduced saree to the world in complete new definition.

Her designs reflects a mix of ancient and modern techniques. Most of her creations are a canvas of ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship in a contemporary fashion.

She has been designing clothes for the most important beauty pageants in the world. In the year 2002 she launched a new sub-brand of her own - "LABEL". The 'Label' focuses on cut, color, drape and feel of the garment that caters today's Indian woman.

Ritu Beri

She is the first Indian Fashion Designer who displayed her collection in Paris. She is a pass out of NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology), Delhi. She stand among first few Indian designers who made a mark in International Fashion Industry within the initial stage of their career. Today she is a well known designer and her designs have become a highlight in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, USA, London and Paris.

She Introduced her first line of clothing 'Lavanya' which was a huge success in India and on the international level, her collection sold of very quickly. Her 'ready-to-wear' couture creations are a huge success in international markets and a center of attraction for french media. 

Rohit Bal

He is from the few early designers of India. In 1996, he was titled as the 'India's Master of fabric and fantasy' by the Time magazine. He is one designer who is know for his sense of aesthetics with meticulous attention given to details. Each of his creation is handcrafted to perfection. 

Rohit Bal is a big name in Hollywood, his clientele include celebrities like Uma Thurman, Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Campbell and Anna Kournikova. He himself is a Brand Ambassador of Omega Watches since 2001. The man has the key to doors of discovery. He can take you to villages where local craftsmen weave dreams with magic fingers, to factories, workshops and outlets where retailers jostle for survival, to the glitzy boutiques and malls at the best addresses in the big cities of high fashion. 

Tarun Tahiliani

After acquiring a graduate degree from Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, Tarun Tahiliani came back to India and cognized that India has ample scope in designer wear sector. In the year 1987, he revolutionized Indian Fashion and Indian Fashion Industry and opened first ever fashion boutique, 'Ensemble', in India.

His creations are sold in Tokyo, New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai and in his stores in New Delhi and Mumbai. Tarun also designed Shilpa Shetty's wedding trousseau. In October 2010, Timex has teamed up with Tarun Tahiliani and will come up with a collection for Indian Market.

"We had teamed up with Tarun Tahiliani two years back. This is our first major tie up with an Indian designer. We will unveil his first collection by October-end this year," Timex Group India Managing Director V D Wadhwa

Manish Malhotra

He is Bollywood's favorite designer. He is one designer responsible for revolutionizing fashion in Hindi movies. He design clothes according to the character and not the actor. He has designed clothes for Sridevi, Urmila Matondkar, Karishma Kapoor, Kajol, Raveena Tandon, Manisha Koirala, Madhuri Dixit, Twinkle Khanna, Shilpa Shetty, Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee and Preity Zinta.

He gained popularity when he was asked to design clothes for Micheal Jackson for an appearance in bollywood award function held in New York. Later, MJ was so pleased with Manish Malhotra's creation that he requested him to design clothes for a musical event held at Munich and to design for his kids too.