GAP INTRODUCES 'CLASSICS REDEFINED' – A NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN FEATURING A COMPELLING SERIES OF MODERN PORTRAITS AND ICONIC GAP ITEMS FOR FALL

Gap’s Fall Campaign Highlights a Diverse Cast of Inspiring Individuals Including John Mayer, Forest Whitaker, Sarah Silverman, Liev Schreiber, Lucy Liu, Regina King, Selma Blair and Ken Watanabe

SAN FRANCISCO – July 30, 2007 – Gap has been renowned for its powerful portraiture for decades, and this fall Gap celebrates the spirit of this legacy with the introduction of “Classics Redefined” – an innovative new advertising campaign captured by acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz. Launching this August, the campaign features a series of modern portraits of awe-inspiring individuals from a range of artistic fields including Grammy Award-winning musician John Mayer, comedic “It girl” Sarah Silverman and Oscar Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker.

“Fashion portraiture is a subject near and dear to Gap. Our advertising has always put the individual ahead of the clothes,” said Don Fisher, founder of Gap. “Whether it’s a celebrity, a writer, a performing artist or a model, the person is always the art, the clothes the frame that sets them off. A photo is a way to capture that moment so it doesn’t pass. And a compelling portrait is a way to make sure it lives on forever.”

“Classics Redefined” is comprised of a series of twelve emotionally arresting black and white portraits. Each portrait is numbered to highlight twelve of the wardrobe essentials Gap redefined this fall. The individuals featured in the campaign wear these modern Gap classics in a way that captures their personal style while celebrating the iconic item. In select campaign spreads, a simple product image of a fall item is juxtaposed against a portrait to tell a more detailed story about the classic pieces Gap has reinvented for fall.

Gap’s fall collection is rooted in the brand’s heritage as the purveyor of casual style and features a modern take on the classic items Gap is known and loved for. From the little black sweater dress and wide leg trouser for women, to the tailored shirt and the macintosh trench for men, Gap has redefined the classics this fall. A clean, simple approach to design makes these items the perfect addition to everyone’s fall wardrobe. The artists in the “Classics Redefined” campaign wear the following must-have items for fall:

• John Mayer, Musician, wears The Sweater Vest ($39.50)
• Lucy Liu, Actor, wears The Little Black Sweater Dress ($59.50)
• Liev Schreiber, Actor, wears The Haberdashery Shirt ($44.50)
• Sarah Silverman, Comedian and Aspiring Supermodel, wears The Wide Leg Trouser ($49.50)
• Forest Whitaker, Storyteller and Actor, wears The Macintosh ($98)
• Selma Blair, Actor, wears The Deep V Sweater ($44.50)
• Ken Watanabe, Actor and Producer, wears The Tailored White Shirt ($39.50)
• Regina King, Actor, wears The Short Sleeved Turtleneck ($39.50)
• Davis Guggenheim, Director and Producer, wears The Perfect V Sweater ($39.50)
• Twyla Tharp, Choreographer and Director, wears The French Cuff Shirt ($39.50)
• Marcel Wanders, Designer, wears The Soft Tailored Blazer ($88)
• Puffy AmiYumi, Rock Stars, wear The Wide Leg Jean ($59.50)

Developed by Laird+Partners, Gap’s creative agency, the “Classics Redefined” print campaign will run in September issues of national magazines including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Lucky, Interview, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, GQ and Dwell.

Source:press release Gap

STAR STYLE WITH H&M DIVIDED FOR AUTUMN

H&M’s younger line, Divided, is all about creative design with references from the latest international trends as well as from the street and club scenes. The diverse Divided collection is a way to express your personality with clothes and accessories. To make the most and the best of your style, your way.

'The Divided concept has a style that attracts both grown-up and teenage customers. I think the creativity and comfort is the key to success. Great patterns and prints, cool styles, and, most importantly, the latest trends translated in a playful and unpretentious manner,' says H&M's head of design Margareta van den Bosch.

This autumn, the design team at H&M Divided have been inspired by 1950s rockabilly, elegant 70s rock style, and the layered grunge styling or clean Minimal looks from the 90s. Sports-inspired pieces and vintage couture silhouettes complete the variety, along with an extensive selection of jeans and denim styles.

Silhouette
Slim and casual.

Colours
Black and white, grey, petrol blue, khaki, brown, red and pink with acid accents.

Patterns and prints
Graphic prints, tartan, Fair Isle patterns, animal prints, stripes, jacquard, front prints, polka dots, braids.

Materials
Denim, cotton jersey, sweatshirt cotton, flannel, corduroy, wool, mohair, leather, fake fur, nylon, fleece, WCT.

Source:press release H&M

FUTURE TRIBES AND HIGH STEEL-2007 FW Diesel Collection

The Diesel design team, headed by its Creative Director Wilbert Das, has turned contradiction into a positive force by blending Native American references with science fiction to create the denizens of a futuristic New York City.A tribe of proud, poised individuals stride through an exaggerated Manhattan landscape in a comic strip fantasy. Like the skyscrapers themselves, our heroes have a glittering, metallic glamour.
The Native American touches recall one of Diesel’s most enduring icons – the Only the Brave ‘punk Native American’ logo. This contrast of heritage and future provides an unexpected blend of warmth and cool. Shiny nylon, silk and lurex are tempered by black fox fur, soft jersey and the rugged luxury of treated leather.
Colors are strong and polished: black, copper, purple and white. Glossy black piping catches the neon lights. Patent leather provides a tough carapace – yet there is also the delicate touch of embroidery.
The beautiful wildness of feathers runs like a trail through the collection.
Diesel’s Only the Brave logo has been revisited for the 21st century cityscape, with steel blades playing the role of feathers.
And of course Diesel would not be the same without denim, in all its forms.
Watch out for one of the stars of the show: the new copper lamè black denim, for the ultimate in coruscating elegance.
Shapes, too, are contradictory, as skinny leggings and roomy tops play games with volume.Coats have a military swagger, but pockets in unexpected places add a gentle eccentricity. An oversized belted trench-coat is ready for action; while a military poncho has a quirky charm.
One of the keys to the collection is the ruffle effect, with long trousers ruffled at the bottom or a denim mini-dress gathered at both sides.
Figure-hugging trousers and flirty mini-skirts bring optimism and sensuality to this brave new world. Or perhaps we should say, to this world of the brave.

Source:press release Diesel

Chanel fall winter 07/08 haute couture

PARIS, July 3, 2007 – From his lofty position at the ultimate heights of fashion, Karl Lagerfeld can still deliver a lesson in what makes a brilliant collection: clarity and intense follow-through. Put simply, he looked at Chanel from one angle—sideways-on—and turned that technical exercise into a show that focused all the imaginative, structural, and decorative skills of haute couture into one idea: tracing the body line from shoulder to ankle. "High profile," he called it. "Everything is flat at the front. It’s all side effects."

The concept gave a linear dynamic to clothes that employed every conceivable device for piling interest into the place where side seams ought to be. In the opening series of narrow, tuniclike coat-dresses, Lagerfeld used strips of leather, moving into feather and bold tracings of pearl. Then, as he progressed into evening, there were glimpses of sequined embroidery or rills of georgette fluttering from the sides of numerous black lace, ribbon, and chiffon dresses. Tailored hunting jackets with flying peplums in back contributed to the overall sense of forward motion, as did the finale gowns, some trailing airborne capes in their wake. All this was underscored by the image of impossibly elongated women on the move, striding along in leather leggings, heads clad in abstracted hoods or futuristic feathered earmuffs.

Even the drenching weather—the show took place under canopies pitched in the Parc de Saint Cloud—couldn't dampen the energy, exquisiteness, and coherence of this collection. After nearly 20 years at Chanel, Lagerfeld has nothing left to prove, but his power to surprise and modernize is still a phenomenal sight to behold.

– Sarah Mower (Source:style.com)