Model in Zandra Rhodes Couture and Zandra Rhodes for Adele Marie jewellery

The first pieces to be showcased were the swirling heart designs from the iconic collection, which all feature a metal finish. Appearing on the catwalk stage was a model wearing a Zandra Rhodes couture pink and black flowing dress, bright pink heels, and the swirling, rhinestone clad heart necklace and earrings. These gorgeous pieces feature swirly heart shaped charms which have been designed by Zandra, made with a smooth, silver tone finish. The hearts are finished with a Zandra Rhodes signature, and the earrings feature a little initial ‘Z’ on the fastening. Zandra mentioned that all the designs from this collection were part of her own repertoire, which Adele Marie researched and adapted to make into these gorgeous jewellery pieces.

Next up was the forever wiggle design from the resin collection. The stunning model was dressed in a high neck, long sleeved purple dress finished with a cute frill along the hem; the perfect colour and style to showcase Ms Rhodes statement pieces. The model wore the large pink forever wiggle beaded necklace and twisted bangle bracelet. Zandra named these pieces as ‘happy jewels’, and I can definitely see why!

The third model was adorned with more pieces from the forever wiggle design. Paired with black trousers and a fabulous draped top was a simpler forever wiggle beaded necklace, and matching black forever wiggle earrings and bangle. Zandra also explained how she and Adele Marie delved into her old collection of designs from the 1980s and re-worked them to make more modern and contemporary pieces.

Next up a beautiful model dressed in a stunning ruffled maxi dress. The dress was accessorized with Zandra Rhodes forever wiggle black beaded chunky necklace and bracelet. Zandra said she would never design jewellery that she wouldn’t wear herself, and these pieces are definitely ones to get you noticed!

Fifth was a model wearing a long pink floaty number, paired with the single swirling heart necklace, matching bracelet, and large heart earrings from the iconic collection. The necklace shimmered with rhinestones whilst the earrings were a simpler take on the design, featuring the hearts made with a smooth silver tone finish.

Selection of 'Forever Wiggle' jewellery by Zandra Rhodes for Adele Marie

Also in the Zandra Rhodes for Adele Marie jewellery collection you’ll find gold and silver tone necklaces made with the ‘puzzle’ design which secure with a woven chain, and an extravagant multi chain necklace adorned with beads and ‘ZR’ charms which would be perfect to re-invent your outfits.

The collection launches online first at www.make-me-beautiful.co.uk and www.make-me-sexy.co.uk

Next I explored the designer stalls; gawping at fabulous crystal clad prom dresses and cooing over cute animal charm necklace and bracelets. Eventually I arrived at the Adele Marie stand in the accessories section so I could take a closer look at Zandra’s designs in the flesh. I was not disappointed; the forever wiggle bracelets had a gorgeous smooth finish and quality chunky feel to them, the layered cascade necklace looked so luxurious with its adornment of charms and beads, and the swirling heart designs immediately stole my heart!

I enjoyed pink champagne flutes and delicious pink iced designer cupcakes as I sat for afternoon tea with Zandra Rhodes and Adele Vanderkar, founder of Adele Marie jewellery designs. In case you didn’t know, Adele Vanderkar used to be the accessories buyer for Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge before she started designing her own beautiful jewellery pieces. This latest collaboration with Zandra Rhodes appears to be a match made in heaven! After discussing designs, jewellery and everything in between, I got to meet Ms Rhodes herself and can confirm she is incredibly lovely and down to earth! In fact she was absolutely fabulous!

Witten by Brigitte Swimer

The Radical Designer Awards is targeted at fashion designers who are any age over 21 years. This age category must have design experience, a fashion label or a fashion house. This award gives each designer an opportunity to demonstrate their technical design skill and to express their creativity. The brief is to showcase a current Radical collection at the young designer awards. A very special showcase at Seattle Fashion Week USA will be offered by Seattle Fashion Week’s directors to one of our Radical Designer award winners.

Nichole Sams Seattle Fashion Week Director of Marketing says “Seattle Fashion Week is excited to extend one fashion showcase during an upcoming Fashion Week to the lucky winner of the Radical Designer Awards. The most important aspect of being a young designer is showing your art to the world. This helps gain fans, buyers and eventually gets designs in boutiques and retailers. Seattle is a great place for new designers to showcase their work. Seattle is a city enjoys unique works of art.”

Jewellery designers and Accessory designers including milliners can now enter to be up for the opportunity to participate in New Jersey Fashion Week. NJFW provides a platform for exceptional emerging fashion talent to present their seasonal collections on a global scale to the industry, media and consumers.

This year’s young award winners have also been offered fantastic opportunities to debut a collection in New Jersey Fashion Week and The Fashion Designers Expo Week based in Florida.

“Fashion Designer Expo Florida” is an exciting Fashion Week designed to show the world new fashion superstars, showcasing the best emerging talent from all over the world, FDE Florida offers the excitement and exposure that emerging fashion talent need, from extravagant runway shows to lavish parties.

Joanna Marcella the founder of the FDC Young Designer Awards says “Our unique selling point is that our event recognises young multicultural design talent and catapults young fashion designers right on to the international fashion stage.”

This year in our young designers category they are being asked to pay homage to the brilliant fashion designer Alexander McQueen by researching his work and take inspiration from deigns that are considered works of art. The young designer awards aims to provide a platform for creative geniuses who are edgy and original and are not afraid to take risks. The event seeks to find future trailblazers who think outside of the box.

Joanna continues “The FDC Young Designer Awards has been growing from strength to strength and our reputation has reached all corners of the globe, any young designer who would to be part of the great project can now apply to come on board.

Designers who have drive, ambition are talented and very committed, who want to take part in the awards can contact Joanna Marcella email: youngdesignerawards@hotmail.com Mobile: 07940 647 102 / Tel: 0208 986 8411. Website: http://www.youngdesignerawards.weebly.com

The lobby at Messe Munich filled with the scent of fresh lillies

Messe Munich easily equals Birmingham’s NEC for size and leaves it far behind when it comes to facilities, having excellent catering inside as well as a large shopping mall to it’s side. Yet what really stands out about Inhorgenta is the calibre of many of the exhibitors:

• Pandora
• Thomas Sabo
• Raymond Weil
• Gerstner
• Just
• Max Frohlich
• Carucci
• Ti Siento
• Condor
• Espirit
• Fossil
• Giloy
• Guess
• Viventy

OK, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In fact that’s just the snowflake on the tip of the iceberg. Thomas Sabo occupied a particularly large floorspace to showcase the Katy Perry tie up, their first ever celebrity face. With their current range of fun rock inspired charms, it’s set to be the biggest shot across the bows of Pandora who appear to leaving most of their charm peers behind save perhaps Chamilia. Pandora sponsored and dominated the exhibition as a whole with a huge two storey space in the lifestyle area flanked by Ti Siento, Swarovski and Drachenfels. In fact just to reinforce the fact that they owned the hall, Pandora had an aerial dancer perform from the ceiling above their castle *cough* I mean stand:

As much as the spectacle of so many stands which easily topped £50k in construction was impressive, the bottom line was all about economics. It was notable that both the German, Swiss and Italian superbrands are weathering the crunch well and are now all aggressively targeting new outlets. I got further confirmation of this whilst talking with Drachenfels who, after some 12 years, are now a well established premium accessory in Germany yet struggle to place their higher end Drachenfels products within the UK market and cite better take up of their lightweight Heart Breaker range there as a clear example of the difference in markets.

Drachenfels are famous for their fantasy styling

Whilst German lifestyle brands continue to create a large swathe of fantasy inspired jewellery that bridges the gulf between Lord of the Rings and Heavy Metal, some new releases include Haribo Bijoux launching with a German singer as it’s celebrity. It’s cheerful jelly baby jewellery comes in sterling silver and leather. Elsewhere Italian brands continued to dominate the classic and classy space with wonderfully manufactured pieces of timeless quality. Unlike the UK lifestyle space which is crowded with edgy, sexy brands like Fiorelli and Adele Marie, few exhibitors were aimed squarely at the fast fashion space excepting perhaps Nieder and Spark who dip a toe in.

There’s no doubt about it. The German economy is doing well and the German brands were full of smiles. The event was full of drinks on the stands, drinks at an after party on the house and drinks on the town afterwards and didn’t seem to be fuelled by a fake need for coercion. Perhaps most importantly the Germans and European superbrands are pointing a finger at how the future lies – providing engagement in multiple dimensions with celebrity support, lifestyle advertising, quality products and big stories behind products that support both the retailer and the end user in feeling good about the product both today and tomorrow.

Next Inhorgenta Munich is 2012.

SOURCE EXPO is the only annual fashion industry tradeshow dedicated to ethical sourcing. Now in its third season, this year the EXPO will bring together more international manufacturers, suppliers and cooperatives working to high ethical standards than ever before. The event includes a programme of seminars, introducing new products and exemplary supply and production systems, a DESIGNER PAVILION showcasing some of the most inspirational design led fashion from around the world and a trends area.

Full details will be available online shortly at Ethical Fashion Forum’s Source Expo’s website. There are also a number of exhibitor and sponsor slots currently available. Contact the Ethical Fashion Forum to get involved.

This year the young designer show participants have also been offered the fantastic opportunity to debut a collection in The Fashion Designers Expo Week based in Florida.

Fashion Designer Expo Florida is an exciting Fashion Week designed to show the world new fashion superstars, showcasing the best emerging talent from all over the world, FDE Florida offers the excitement and exposure that the emerging fashion talent need from extravagant runway shows to lavish parties.

Joanna Marcella the founder of the show and awards says “Our unique selling point is that our events recognises young multicultural design talent and catapults young fashion designers right on to the international fashion stage.”

At the young designer show on the 26 of March a special announcement will be made about fantastic opportunity for a group of designers to take in part in a all denim fashion show in Monte Carlo Monaco. Some on the designer names participating are: Leeanne Ripley-Garrett, Hannah Bloxham, Gbemisola Okunlola, Teresita Auguste, Gabriele Bernotaite, Keni Magma Puplampu, Kanyinsola Onalaja, Temila Jones, Jessy Sakala and Antoinette Oshodi.

Joanna continues “The FDC Young Designer Show and Awards has been growing from strength to strength and our reputation has reached all corners of the globe, any young designer who would to be part of the great project can still apply to come on board providing they have a collection ready to show and they meet all of the other criteria.”

Joanna and her team are looking for designers who have the potential to be future icons like John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood or Alexander McQueen. For entry details, to models sponsor or attend the show contact Joanna Marcella on email: joanna_marcella@hotmail.com or call: +44 (0) 7940 647 102 / +44 (0) 20 8986 8411.

The Zandra Rhodes by Adele Marie collection will feature top quality British made clip earrings bearing Zandra’s logo together with sweeping statement jewellery pieces drawn from inspirations of Zandra’s early years in textiles. Boxed and packaged for the collector of fashion, expected outlets include Harrods, Harvey Nicols and online retailer Make Me Beautiful. Price point is anticipated to be at Adele Marie’s typical “Queen of costume jewellery” range making the collection accessible to serious fashion and art buyers without the excess of fine jewellery pricing.

The Zandra Rhodes by Adele Marie collection is due to launch August 2011.

CraftNation.com is a small start up with a big goal: to reduce the amount of goods whose manufacture relies on fossil fuels that end up in landfill and the marine environment every year.

By transforming the way products get made CraftNation.com will deliver a one stop online boutique for designers to gain valuable feedback on their designs before they get made.

Describing themselves as the “un-marketplace” targeting desirable designers goods to local buyers and taking advantage of mobile social shopping and location features. It promises to change the way we sell everything.

“Making products that are un-desired and do not sell is un-sustainable from a financial as well as an ecological point of view, they become instant waste.”
Louise Campbell founder of CraftNation.com

Who?

The brain child behind CraftNation.com is ex-Liberty of London employee and graphic designer Louise Campbell. Based in Hertfordshire with her co-founder team: Lead Developer Alice Still, experienced online Marketing Strategist Ameer Sameer Khan, and advisor Katarina Skoberene (founder and ex CEO of the OpenAd Network, the worlds 1st crowd sourced advertising platform) Louise hopes to shake up the current commercial designer accessories industry whom she describes as wasteful and complacent.

“CraftNation.com  is an online platform which allows designers to gain valuable feedback on their creations before they get made.”

Alice Still – Lead Developer

Louise spent years looking at way products were manufactured, and was shocked at the amount of accessories that get produced which do not necessarily have a buyer. Undesired products end up in landfill.

“CraftNation.com have capitalised on a valuable trend, we are first to market to combine handmade designs, feedback, group buying and geolocation features.”

Ameer Khan, Chief Marketing Officer

What?

CraftNation.com is a showcase for artisan craft designers to show and feedback their designs to a worldwide audience. The CraftNation.com community choose which designs get produced. The most desirable based on votes are sold daily through its online boutique.

The vision behind CraftNation.com is to challenge traditional supply chain methodology. Products which have the potential to be future-vintage artisan crafts, can be pre-ordered. CraftNation.com drastically reduce manufacturing waste and enhance an ethically supported supply chain, by producing desired artisan crafts.

“CraftNation.com’s vision is to use crowdsourcing and purchasing power to challenge traditional supply chain methodology, that shake up manufacturing industries.”

CraftNation.com are currently inviting designers to list a product in their showcase for an account, it’s free!

Contact: Louise@CraftNation.com | T: +44 7985606047 |  Twitter: @Craft_Nation | Blog: CraftNationsUnite | Facebook: CraftNationsUnite

Where?

London based start-up.

Homepage screengrab:
Vote for the hottest designers on the planet who have joined the CraftNation.com inaugural showcase so far!

Additional information :
Due to enormous demand for precious, high-quality, handmade, artisan craft gifts, which slash production manufacturing waste and reduce product miles, we have built an amazing new online platform to challenge traditional supply chain methodology especially for you. CraftNation combines and ecommerce platform with location based features to help you find designers near you.
Different than Etsy, we’ll pioneer new supply chain ideals. We want you to help us spread the word. CraftNation.com will breakthrough the traditional supply chain business model. There is nothing else like it.
How do we do it?
1. We drastically cut product manufacturing waste by stocking desirable goods.

2. We refuse to stock poor quality goods and accessories.

3. We keep sourcing local, minimising excessive product miles
How you can help us change the world:
As one of our chosen suppliers we want you to have a bright future with us, we want to boost your income, help you continue to be captain of your own ship, and continue to be very successful, practically without lifting a finger.
Benefits for Designers:
You’ll have access to targeted buyers who spoil themselves frequently

You receive payment for multiple orders in bulk upfront via Paypal

With a pre-paid postage and collection option you won’t ever have to go to the post office again (your choice).

You’ll deliver repeat customer satisfaction through status stories and superior quality goods.
We have been very busy behind the scenes and are very nearly at the stage where we can invite you to upload your bestselling handmade artisan product.
We only release 25 product listings per week. We really care who we invite and you have been hand selected to list as one of the first 25.
It’s a tough market right now, but we know you are poised for greatness. Please keep a look out for your invite to upload on November 1st.

About Us:
CraftNation.com is a showcase for artisan craft designers to gain valuable feedback for their designs from a worldwide audience.
Our Commitment to our Designers
At CraNation.com we are dedicated to providing you with a successful, globally respected platform to showcase the fruits of your labour. You focus on doing what you do best, designing and creating exquisite artisan gifts while we work on customer acquisition and order management. This is our strength. A long term “win-win” relationship is what we aspire to maintain.
Our Commitment to our Customers
At CraftNation.com we are dedicated to bringing you only the best designers. Only the top-quality designs will be chosen by the community to feature in our web boutique. Just choose from your favorite designs and place an order. All products are made to order and you are rewarded for with the best designs and quality craftsmanship.
Our Commitment to the Environment
Future-vintage, artisan crafts can be customised and pre-ordered. This drastically reduces manufacturing waste and creates an ethical and sustainable supply chain. We are the supply chain pioneers who challenge traditional supply chain methodology.
CraftNation.com, where gifts get personal.

On the 12th November, HP and Palm teamed up to showcase their new groundbreaking products in a celebratory Christmas event at Westfield London Shopping Centre‘s new ice rink. As an event reporter, I was treated to a VIP experience on the 2nd floor level surrounding the ice rink, offering a fantastic view of the event alongside champagne and canapés and received a Westfield gift card upon arrival which encouraged myself and others to explore and take in what the vast shopping centre has to offer.

VIP Launch of Westfield Shopping Centre Ice Rink

Held at the fashion haven of Westfield London, the event’s promoters did a fantastic job at targeting the products to fashionistas and the tech savvy using the surroundings. Each product combined on-trend sleek lines, unparallelled technology and ease of use to create the perfect gadget, bringing a new meaning to “geek-chic”. HP have realised that there is a huge market for trendy technology in the fashion world. Not just in professionals but home users as well. The products I was introduced to each find their own way of fitting into a busy lifestyle, aptly designed to be used out and about, on the go and in the workspace. Other than myself, a fair few more fashion and tech bloggers and writers were invited to cover the event and there were several photographers documenting the comings and goings. As it was a family event as well, it was child friendly and both kids and adults had the chance to ice skate with The Snowman! I must confess, after falling (more than) once, I swiftly headed over to the HP stand and got to work.

The HP and Palm stand offered a first peek at several of their new products including the much awaited Palm Pre 2, the HP Envy 3D laptop and HP Envy Beats™ Edition. The latest offerings encompass the needs and wants of all media users in a clever, sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing way.

Released exclusively online the same day, the Palm Pre 2 is a cleverly evolved version of the Palm Pre offering many of the same user friendly features and more. The Palm Pre 2 features a 3.1 inch damage resistant touch responsive screen which impressively has very little latancy between touch command and action. Also, in keeping with the sleek look of the phone, the traditional directional keys were replaced by a touch-sensitive light up bar below the screen. Busy, on-the-go users can enjoy multitasking as this phone offers the ability to open several applications at any one time with little to no lag thanks to the 1G processor. In addition to this, users no longer need to pick and choose which applications they want to keep as the phone comes with a massive 16G memory. With the new HP webOS 2.0 operating system, this is their fastest phone to date. The operating system is designed to provide user friendly ways of accessing the internet through your phone enabling the user to make quick connections and experience the web in an entirely new way. The HP Touchstone Charging dock is an optional yet necessary gadget; it offers several features including automatic, handsfree speakerphone, call answering and the ability to watch video whilst the phone is charging on the magnetic dock.

HP Palm Pre 2

Next on my agenda was the HP Envy14 Beats™ Edition which was appropriately displayed in its own booth, mimicking a booth in a recording studio. A limited edition laptop, with only 500 being sold in the UK; this piece of equipment is the result of HP’s partnership with Dr. Dre. Beats™ hardware/software combo is designed to provide an unparalleled audio experience and to enable users to listen to music the way the artists intend for them to. Crisp, clean sounds and undisturbed bass redefines digital audio in the home and allows users to “feel the music”. The laptop is customised with Beats™ insignia, themed red and black matte casing and backlighting and is powered by an Intel® Core™ i5 processor. Supplied with the laptop are an immaculately designed pair of compact, Beats™ branded, noise exluding headphones that make use of Monster Professional HDMI Digital AV cables to provide exquisite sound and bass.

HP Envy Beats Edition

Finally, the HP Envy17 3D Laptop; said to “satisfy the most demanding tech-enthisiasts”, this sleek piece of technology impressed me from the get-go. The laptop features a huge 2TB of storage, the choice of an Intel® Core™ i7 processor or the Intel® Core™ i5 processor2 combined with incredible graphics, Beats™ audio software, a backlit screen and keyboard and impressive design with an etched metal alloy body. The 3D glasses supplied with the laptop means users can enjoy 3D home viewing. However, whilst the transfer of 3D technology from cinema to home viewing is impressive and certainly groundbreaking, the technology is still very young and this is evident in this laptop. Nevertheless, the HP Envy17 3D is ideal for creative practitioners, gamers and media users alike. It is also perfect for home viewing – 3D or not – as the graphics are clear, crisp and unlike any I have ever seen in a laptop.

HP Envy 3D Laptop

The other products displayed were the new HP Mini 210, HP Touchsmart tm2 and the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi Plus.

The HP Mini 210 is a compact, chic laptop; ideal for on the go useage, social networking and internet browsing but not powerful enough for heavy programs and simulatneously running multiple programs, though that is not what this is designed for. It is designed to provide convenient internet access both in the home and whilst travelling which is reflected in its specifications. It holds a long battery life, is light in weight and sleek in design making it perfect for its targeted market.

HP Mini 210

The HP Touchsmart tm2 is another brilliantly targeted product for the creative practitoner with its ability to transform into an easy to use tablet PC. As the name suggests, it is a touchscreen PC and its response to touch is quick and has several features ideal for the intended user. I do think that a compatible stylus would be necessary to avoid friction from the screen after continuous use and the constant need to wipe it clean. This is not something I saw at the display.

HP Touchsmart tm2

The predessor to the Palm Pre 2, the Palm Pre was displayed alongside the Palm Pixi Plus. Both are currently available through O2 and hold many of the same features as the Palm Pre 2. O2 are currently offering Palm Pixi Plus users a free Artist Series back cover, compatible with Palm’s Touchstone Technology, giving a unique look and feel to your phone.

Palm Pixi Plus

The event overall was a huge success and had a fantastic turnout. The combination of the VIP area, the fun of ice skating and the chance to view and play with new, pioneering technology meant the evening was never dull and there was always something to talk about!

On the 26th October at the Sanctum Soho Hotel, London Fashion Network hosted an event entitled Blog for Sales for brands and bloggers to discuss how to monetise a blog and how to use blogs as a viable marketing strategy to increase sales and traffic.

The panel was headed by Vicky Day and included Chris Bishop: founder of 7ThingsMedia, Ross Carder: the Affiliate Manager of House of Fraser and Mark Frost from Affiliate Window.

The event enabled attendees to discuss affiliate marketing in depth and the panel answered several questions about how small brands and particularly etailers can generate sales by employing a few tactics to get their brand out into cyberspace. It was understood that content is the foundation for generating sales; more specifically, unique content. Bloggers are approached by PR companies on a daily basis and are provided with press releases to copy and paste onto their websites. While successful to a certain degree, these posts are essentially spam and fail to bring a genuine, personable image to the brand and subsequently do not drive sales as effectively as readers realise the posts do not reflect the true opinions of the blogger. Encouraging bloggers to create unique content is key in bringing traffic and sales to an etailer’s website.

Next on the list was the hazy subject of affliate marketing. Affliate marketing brings products onto a blog or website and encourages readers to click and buy through links provided by an affiliate network. An affiliate network brings together a blogger or website owner and merchants/etailers and enables both parties to make money through clicks. As affiliate networks charge a fee to merchants and unless your website generates over 10,000 unique visitors per month with a 2% or higher conversion rate, joining can be detremental to business profitability and so it is encouraged to explore other ways to increase traffic before signing up, including signing up as a publisher. Affliate networks do not charge fees to bloggers and website owners and so blogging about other relevant brands will both earn money and generate hits.

The panel did a fantastic job of clearing up several myths surrounding the term affiliate marketing, one of which attendees had a shared interest in: how much do bloggers really make? It was confirmed that several earn four figure sums on a weekly basis through affiliate marketing meaning the blogging business is booming. Bloggers rake in £43 billion a year for online retailers and it’s only going to increase.

Another subject touched on was the importance of utilising social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. Again, these channels are a way to bring your brand out into cyberspace and enable etailers to connect with their target consumers on a more personal level.

So how do you Blog for Sales? First and foremost, connect with your consumers; connect with your readers. Take pride in your content and offer genuine opinions. As a blogger, would you personally buy what you’re “selling”? If not, you won’t create believeable content for your readers and in turn will not make sales. Secondly, make use of affiliate networks to create partnerships with brands that offer top quality products. Finally, as a brand and etailer: encourage bloggers to create unique content for your products and make use of affliate networks as publishers to increase traffic through your site before signing on as a merchant.