SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Vera Wang, the queen of bridal couture, is abolishing the nearly $500 fee she charged Chinese brides-to-be to try on a garment at her new Shanghai bridal boutique after the move, meant to deter counterfeiters, set off a global outcry.
Local and global media had criticized the surcharge as being discriminatory because it was applied only in China, at the company's Shanghai store, which staged a "soft opening" in January as the company's first bridal salon in the country, a vast potential market as the numbers of wealthy grow.
A Vera Wang spokeswoman told Reuters that the 3,000 yuan ($480) charge was being scrapped as of Wednesday.
"Please kindly be informed that Vera Wang has abolished appointment fees at her bridal salons worldwide starting from March 27, 2013," the spokeswoman said in an email, without elaborating.
A company spokeswoman told local media earlier this year that the charge was imposed to fend off copying of the elaborate dresses, which fetch thousands of dollars in the original.
Despite the move, though, Vera Wang's ivory tulle trains and pinched bodice gowns had already found fans in the world of pirates, with knockoffs widely available on Chinese e-commerce sites for a fraction of the price.
Li, one seller of "Vera Wang style" dresses on Taobao Marketplace, China's largest e-commerce site, says he can achieve up to 90 percent similarity to the namesake garments without even seeing the originals.
A Vera Wang original can range anywhere from $2,000 to over $10,000, but on Taobao some imitations go for as little as $100.
"For the experts you don't need to try on the dress to figure out how to copy it, you just need to see it or feel it at the shop," said Li, who declined to give his full name.
Li's factory, based in Suzhou, a city near Shanghai, makes Vera Wang knockoffs from photos of her creations, then sells them online for between 600 yuan ($97) to 1,700 yuan ($270).
The Taobao sellers who hawk the look-alikes use organza, satin and lace to recreate the ethereal bridal trains and three-dimensional floral whorls on Wang's dresses.
Most of the sellers online said they could achieve near 100 percent similarity to Vera Wang dresses but the complicated hand stitching and high quality materials that go into an original dress is something they can't replicate.
"There will be slight changes... If you want 100 percent you should buy the original," said one seller of mid-range copies.
In 2012, China was the top source country for counterfeit goods entering the United States and the European Union (EU) with more than 70 percent originating from China, according to the latest customs seizure reports from the U.S. and the EU.
Alibaba Group, which owns Taobao Marketplace, said in a statement to Reuters the company works with intellectual property rights holders to take down counterfeit listings and will penalize stores caught.
($1 = 6.2107 Chinese yuan)
(Editing by Kazunori Takada, Elaine Lies and Michael Perry)
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Vera Wang scraps $500 China try-on fee, knockoffs still flourish - Yahoo! News
Friday, March 22, 2013
Princess Diana gowns fetch $1.2 million at auction - Yahoo! News
LONDON (Reuters) - Ten dresses worn by the late Princess Diana, including a velvet, midnight blue gown she famously danced in with John Travolta at the White House in 1985, fetched more than $1.2 million at a London auction on Tuesday.
The Victor Edelstein creation worn at the U.S. gala dinner was the top lot of the sale, held by fashion specialists Kerry Taylor Auctions, selling for $362,470, within the pre-sale estimates.
A beaded black Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Diana in a Vanity Fair fashion shoot by photographer Mario Testino raised $163,091, as did a crushed velvet burgundy dress by the same designer donned by the then Princess of Wales during a state visit to Australia.
Diana originally sold the pieces at a charity auction in New York shortly before she was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris in August 1997.
The selection of mainly evening gowns charted the former royal's style evolution from ingénue to global fashion icon, a transformation that captivated the world as much as her private life.
Dubbed the "People's Princess" following her death aged 36, Diana was adored by millions of people who considered her a breath of fresh air in a royal family seen at the time as out of step with the modern world.
That fascination has been replicated by public affection for Kate Middleton, who married Diana's elder son Prince William in 2011 and subsequently announced her pregnancy last year.
The monarchy, meanwhile, has undergone a resurgence in popularity, underlined by the huge crowds that turned out to witness celebrations for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 marking 60 years on the throne.
Kerry Taylor said the sale saw a high level of interest, with some museums coming forward to grab a slice of royal history.
"We attracted bidders from across the world including Asia, America, Austria, Australia and of course, the UK, including three important museums, so we are hopeful that now people will actually get to see some of the dresses that belonged to the 'People's Princess'," Taylor said.
No stranger to royal fashion, Taylor previously sold a knitted see-through dress worn by Middleton during a student fashion show for $117,788.
($1 = 0.6619 British pounds)
(Reporting by Clare Hutchison)
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Pale blush, sparkle and gold grace Oscars red carpet - Yahoo! News
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ethereal, strapless silhouettes and wavy tresses gave the Oscars red carpet a patina of old Hollywood glamour on Sunday as the year's top actresses and presenters led the way in blush, grey and black sequined gowns.
"There were no misses this year, everyone had very good taste," said Avril Graham, executive fashion and beauty editor at Harper's Bazaar.
"Silver Linings Playbook" Best Actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence, 22, wowed critics with her off-white Christian Dior Couture strapless gown with a full-tiered skirt and a long necklace dropping down her back.
The actress, who is the face of Christian Dior's Miss Dior brand and has been wearing the designer to the awards leading up to the Oscars, said it was the only dress she tried on for the event.
Fellow Dior brand ambassador Charlize Theron wore a white strapless couture gown from the French fashion house.
Halterneck column gowns were a popular trend on the red carpet as stars opted for a long and lean silhouette this year.
"Les Miserables" star Amanda Seyfried opted for a pale grey and lilac embroidered Alexander McQueen halterneck dress, while her co-star and Best Supporting Actress winner Anne Hathaway received mixed reviews for her blush pink Prada halterneck satin strapless gown with a daring low back.
In an interview on the red carpet Hathaway quipped, "it's business in the front and party in the back."
Hathaway "had a shade of Audrey Hepburn in her pastel Prada," with her cropped pixie cut, Graham said.
Blush and nude hues were a hot trend on the runways for spring and were echoed in the clean palettes on this year's Oscar red carpet.
"The Master" supporting actress nominee Amy Adams stunned crowds in a strapless pale grey full-skirted tulle Oscar de la Renta gown, while last year's supporting actress winner Octavia Spencer wore a blush Tadashi Shoji number.
Zoe Saldana's white strapless bustier Alexis Mabille dress was offset by grey underlays peeking out.
Contrasting the off-white gowns were the actresses picking gold, gunmetal greys and bright colors that stood out on the red carpet at Hollywood's Dolby Theater.
Jessica Chastain, nominated for Best Actress for "Zero Dark Thirty," channeled golden-age Hollywood glamour with a deep gold sequined Armani Prive strapless dress, accessorizing with soft side waves in her auburn hair.
STRONG SILHOUETTES, SEQUINED GLAMOUR
Hal Rubenstein, editor-at-large at InStyle, said this year's red carpet choices showed "restraint," with trends for strong silhouettes paired with old Hollywood glamour.
"The shapes were really strong yet simple, not over-adorned ... it was a real harmonious look from top to bottom," Rubenstein said, naming Jennifer Hudson in navy Roberto Cavalli, Nicole Kidman in black sequined column L'Wren Scott, and Chastain's gold strapless Armani as his top picks.
Metallic sparkle was another big trend on the red carpet, with Naomi Watts, Best Actress nominee for "The Impossible," leading the way in a gunmetal sequined one-shouldered Giorgio Armani gown.
Catherine Zeta Jones, in a gold sequined Zuhair Murad gown and Halle Berry in a strong-shouldered silver and black striped Versace fitted gown, followed suit.
Quvenzhane Wallis, the 9-year-old actress competing with Best Actress nominees Lawrence, Watts, Chastain and Emmanuelle Riva, accessorized her navy sparkling Armani gown with a fluffy puppy purse.
"The Sessions" Supporting Actress nominee Helen Hunt shunned high-end designers to wear retail brand H&M in a navy blue strapless gown, stunning fashionistas with her choice.
"Lincoln" Supporting Actress nominee Sally Field added color to the red carpet in a full-sleeved vibrant red Valentino dress.
Reese Witherspoon stood out in a strapless cobalt blue Louis Vuitton gown, "Django Unchained" star Kerry Washington wowed critics with her coral and blush Miu Miu dress and Jennifer Garner, holding husband Ben Affleck's hand, wore an eggplant purple strapless flowing Gucci gown.
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Stacey Joyce)
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
New York fashion shows carry on, unruffled by deep snow - Yahoo! News
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Designers took fashion traveling through time in New York on Saturday, displaying looks evoking the past and future to crowds undeterred by deep snow that covered the city.
Ruffian, Lacoste and Porsche Design were three of the lines showing their fall and winter 2013 collections at New York Fashion Week, which brings more than 200,000 models, design experts and journalists to the city for the semi-annual extravaganza.
Attendance at Fashion Week, where many in the audience don stylish and often outlandish looks for the occasion, appeared little touched by the storm, which left a foot of snow overnight.
"I don't see it affecting it, except the outfits have gotten more interesting," said Adam Paige, a spokesman for Mercedes-Benz, which sponsors Fashion Week shows staged at New York's Lincoln Center.
"People have had to stretch their creativity," Paige said.
Ruffian kicked off with clothes that the designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais said were inspired by images of Sherlock Holmes, saloons, opium dens and the debauchery of New York's Bowery neighborhood, brought to life with rich silks, velvets and embroidery.
Ruffian showed chalk-striped blazers, tweed jackets and high-necked blouses, perked up with corsets and floral flounces. Eye-catching pieces were made of shimmering metallic boucle.
In keeping with the theme, many models wore deerstalker hats made familiar by Holmes, the fictional 19th century London detective.
Looking into an age of futuristic exploration, Lacoste showed sweaters, ponchos, blouses and dresses in ethereal shades of gray, some with abstract prints of topographical maps.
Silhouettes featured exaggeratedly rounded, dropped shoulders.
Color appeared at Lacoste in geometric blocked dresses of black, white, green and blue. Bits of orange peeked out in turtlenecks and shirt collars in a collection that otherwise stayed close to gray, white, green and black.
Jet black ruled at the Porsche Design show, which offered sporty jackets, trousers and skirts of leather. A slight hint of color was a rich oxblood that Porsche dubbed Windsor wine.
Christian Siriano, a winner of the reality television fashion competition "Project Runway," used an opulent palette of black and gold with a splash of hot pink, unveiling his collection against a backdrop of red curtains and enormous chandeliers.
His models wore masculine buttoned-up shirts, turtlenecks and motorcycle jackets that contrasted with full skirts, skinny Capri pants, strapless peplum tops and fitted cocktail dresses with fluted hems. His textures were leather, faux shearling and fur, along with rich jacquards and brocades.
Herve Leger by Max Azria showed the line's trademark bandage dresses, refreshed with intricate beading and flared hems and paired with leather leggings.
The colors were predominantly black and shades of white and cream, mixed in with Bordeaux and a deep malachite.
Herve Leger brought out fur - a cropped jacket long in the back, and black fur sweatshirts. Models donned black wool baseball hats with leather detailing.
Fashion Week continues through Thursday with shows by Michael Kors, Tracy Reese, Ralph Lauren and others.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Style Hits and Misses at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | StyleList
The Screen Actors Guild Awards is the perfect event of awards season to hold us over between the Golden Globes and the Oscars. It’s a night of mutual actor appreciation, and our admiration of some seriously gorgeous ensembles.
The major trends of the evening at the 19th Annual SAG Awards were black, navy, red (again!), and glamorous side parts. Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Chastain, and Amy Poehler were stand outs in Zac Posen, Alexander McQueen, and Zuhair Murad. Unfortunately, Kerry Washington missed the mark in our book in Rodarte.
Click through the gallery above to see our list of the best and worst of the SAG Red Carpet.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Monday, December 17, 2012
Diana's wedding dress, gowns in exhibition coming to West Edmonton Mall - Yahoo! News
EDMONTON - With news of the Duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy causing excitement among fans of British royalty, the late grandmother of that yet-to-born heir to the throne is the focus of an exhibition coming to West Edmonton Mall.
"Diana, A Celebration," chronicling the life and work of the Princess of Wales who died in a 1997 Paris car crash, has toured widely in the U.S. and has had only one other Canadian stop, at Toronto's Design Exchange a decade ago.
Covering almost 650 square metres, the exhibition contains 150 objects including Diana's wedding gown with its 7 1/2-metre-long train, as well as 28 of her designer dresses. It will run Feb. 9 to June 9 on Level 2 of the mall.
All profits from the show, on loan from Britain's Althorp Estate, go to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.