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It's 30 years since Giorgio Armani launched his world-conquering fashion label. To celebrate, he tells Jamie Huckbody about life, love and the future of an empire.
The Armani headquarters, Milan. It's the day after Giorgio Armani has finished presenting his spring/summer 2005 collections. I am informed that Mr Armani, as he is to be addressed, is "running a little bit late", having insisted upon going to the showroom to ensure that everything is "just so" before the arrival of the international fashion buyers.
How could it not be "just so"? This is, after all, Armani, the brand that has built a reputation upon understated sophistication in a palette of grey, beige, and ... greige. But then again, this thoroughness that borders on obsession comes as no surprise.
This is the man who refuses to let go, the man who, despite his 70 years, still singlehandedly runs his $2bn company. And has the pecs of a 20-year-old.
In he bounds: a whirlwind of energy and apologies, wearing his uniform of midnight-blue knitted jacket, black T-shirt and black trousers. He leads me into his office: a smallish room where the pale wood-panelled walls are lined with portraits of the man himself.
There's an Andy Warhol silkscreen print of a Studio 54-era Armani and an Aaron Shikler (famous for his portraits of John F and Jackie Kennedy)
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The World Gold Council (WGC) in partnership with Vicenza Fair today launched Gold Expressions 2005, a collection of 430 gold jewelry pieces designed and produced by 69 Italian goldsmiths.
According to a study carried out by the WGC, gold consumers in key world markets discovered that contemporary designs and styles of gold jewelry were found to be lacking at point-of-sale, especially when faced with emerging competition for discretionary income from other lifestyle branded goods.
'Gold Expressions - The Language of Italian Designs', hopes to answer consumer demand with a collection of products that not only express emotion through their design but also appeal to a wide market range with price points ranging from double digits into the thousand dollar mark.
"As in 2004, we expect these highly innovative and relevant collections to determine what will be in vogue in gold jewelry in the coming year. Many new chains, which have strong sales potential, are featured in this year's collection. We are confident that the designs promoted in the 2005 collection will help fuel consumer demand within the global gold jewelry industry, as well as help to boost Italian exports of gold jewelry," announced James Burton, CEO for WGC at a press conference during the VicenzaOro Fair on Monday.
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Following the success of its champagne diamond dresses at last year's Academy Awards, the Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA) is launching a campaign for this year's Oscars to focus attention once more on colored diamonds.
The Wrap Me in Diamonds promotion sees the NCDIA teaming up with top fashion designers who will create a one-of-a-kind diamond item that will be offered for loan for the red carpet, as well as being showcased in the Oscar Suite.
Designers Alice Roi, Nicole Miller, Jeffrey Chow and Pamela Dennis are taking part in the project.
This year's creations will include natural color diamonds on a "wrap" as a border trim, in a fastener, on a clasp, as a sewn-in brooch, or will appear in a patterned design. Each designer will work with a member of the NCDIA, who will provide the diamonds and appropriate settings that are needed for the design.
Members of the NCDIA, which promotes natural diamonds and natural color diamonds, include major rough diamond producers, diamond and jewelry manufacturers and retailers. These include Michael Werdiger, Rosy Blue, Rio Tinto, Kashikey, Alan Friedman, Uchihara Group, Hans Krieger, Dalumi and Diatraco.
Last year, the stunning $2.5 million dress worn on the red carpet at the Oscar ceremony by Entertainment Tonight presenter Maria Menounos
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A small Bay company is poised to shake up the international fashion industry after producing a revolutionary superfine natural fibre from the winter coat of New Zealand red deer.
The fibre - thinner and smoother than cashmere and called Cervelt - is pitched for use in exclusive clothing worn by some of the world's wealthiest people.
Tauranga-based firm Douglas Creek has spent the past five years perfecting the collection and processing of the down fibre from the coarser outer coat of deer.
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Bay of Plenty manager Lionel Crawley said Douglas Creek's product was unique.
"I'm told that a genuine new fibre like this comes along only once in 50 years.
"They have developed a high-quality, value-added product that is creating a lot of excitement, and they can place themselves at the top end of a competitive global market," Mr Crawley said.
Douglas Creek, an established de-hairing company, is now producing commercial quantities of Cervelt and is making arrangements to supply the strong, lightweight textile to Europe's leading design houses.
Bert McGhee, a director of Douglas Creek, said clothing manufacturers were blown away when the firm took samples overseas late last year.
"They were shocked at how fine it was. We are fielding a lot of interest and we are taking our time choosing
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Two years ago, Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood endeavoured to reintroduce the humble patterned cloth, batik, to the country by initiating the Malaysia Batik - Crafted for the World (MBCFTW) movement that aimed to revitalise pride in the generations-old industry.
The Piala Seri Endon was also introduced to serve as an encouragement to young designers to take up the challenge of creating fabulous, runway-worthy batik designs in their efforts to bag the prized award.
In addition, Malaysians had their eyes opened afresh to the beauty of batik during the Batik Extravaganza that comprised a street carnival and retail booths.
Unsurprisingly, the first phase of the movement was tremendously successful and many of the country's batik producers saw renewed hope in their craft.
This year, MBCFTW aims to share our very own batik with the fashion maestros of the world in the third phase of the movement. Come this Sunday evening during the ultra-classy dinner cum fashion show event titled An Italian Affair: Batik Expressions, women and men of privilege will be awed by the way Malaysia's humble batik has been transformed into an internationally coveted material that is now utilised by Italian fashion maestros.
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