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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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Countless women have fallen in love with low-rise Sass & Bide hipster jeans; now, a new generation is about to fall for the funky designs.
Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton, the designers behind the label, who recently revealed they are both pregnant, say a line of baby clothing could be on the cards.
"We are always getting asked if we are going to do babywear now," three months pregnant Middleton said.
"If we do it, it will be called Sass & Babe."
The name came from Clarke, who is expecting her baby in March. She says a baby line is a good idea, though any range would be small.
But for now they are preparing for their New York Fashion Week show -- their third appearance at the fashion classic.
And the label made famous by its jeans and casual cool, and worn by models such as Megan Gale, is dressing up.
"We've gone for a slightly more sophisticated silhouette," Middleton said.
That includes full-on long dresses for evening wear as well as lots of cropped jackets and suiting. The dressier look goes down well in the US, where they sell in 100 stores.
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Fashion's pendulum has a mighty swing. One season the buzz is all about lace; the next it's all about leather. As soon as you acquired high-heeled sling backs in every color, you're told that the ballerina flat is in. You tossed all your frilly blouses for the menswear-tailored shirts, only to discover the poet blouse is back.
Been there? Done that? Everyone has.
So what makes spring 2005 a season of promise? For one, the pendulum isn't going to swing in a manner that will completely negate your recent wardrobe purchases. The new season actually embraces some of the trends that made 2004 a memorable year in fashion: bright colors, layering, embellishments, feminine skirts and feminine touches like flowery prints and sweet bows.
"I think that spring 2004 was a skirt season and it continues for spring 2005. If spring 2004 was all about feminine and flirty with a touch of retro, spring 2005 is all about mixed combinations of the unexpected - long with short, loose playing off of lean, sleek with ornamental," says Tom Jullian, fashion trend analyst for Fallon Worldwide. "There also seems to be more of a trouser story with fluidity and motion, kind of getting away from that hipster pant with low rise. I'd also acknowledge the bold plethora of color, citrus cool to nautical bright. I still see the pinks and salmons."
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