But now, Axe is introducing a fragrance for women.

The new scent, Anarchy, is being marketed in different versions for men and women. As its name portends, a new commercial depicts a scene of mayhem, with a chain of events including a car pileup. During the spot, strangers lock eyes and, oblivious to the commotion, walk hungrily toward one another, then freeze at about an arm’s length, nostrils flaring and chests heaving, not breaking the sexual tension with contact.

“Unleash the chaos,” says screen text at the close of the commercial, as a young man and woman spray their torsos. “New Axe Anarchy for him and for her.”

The campaign, which includes print and online ads, is by the London office of Bartle Bogle Hegarty. The first of two commercials will appear on Axe’s Facebook page Tuesday, and both are scheduled to begin running widely on television in the United States Jan. 29, and afterward in more than 60 other countries. (A teaser commercial that did not specifically mention the women’s product began running online and in movie theaters on Jan. 1.)

On Tuesday, Axe also will introduce a branded serialized graphic novel on YouTube and Facebook in a partnership with the publisher Aspen Comics. New sequences will be uploaded every few days, with plot turns based partly on consumers’ suggestions and votes, and with some fans being depicted in the comic.

Axe, which declined to disclose the cost of the campaign, spent $92.5 million on domestic advertising in 2010, and $42.8 million in the first nine months of 2011, according to Kantar Media, which is owned by WPP.

In another new commercial, a female police officer chases a male robber on foot, both tossing off layers of clothing in the heat of the chase. It ends with them facing each other, the robber having shed his stolen goods and the officer her gun, then walking toward each other to embrace in the middle of the screen. The new commercials are about “subverting expectations of what an Axe commercial is,” said David Kolbusz, a creative director at Bartle Bogle Hegarty in London. “Before, an Axe commercial was always about a guy spraying himself and a girl being attracted, and Axe giving him an edge in the mating game, whereas now women also have something to spray on themselves, and consequently there’s more of an equilibrium between the sexes.”

Of Axe’s 2.3 million “likes” on Facebook, about a quarter are by women, according to Barret Roberts, the senior brand manager at Axe.

“We’ve been hearing for some time that females have been asking for and looking for their very own scent of Axe,” said Mr. Roberts.

Axe dominates the men’s body spray category, with a 74 percent share of the market, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a market research firm.

While only about 17 percent of American men use body spray — 65 percent use aftershave and 62 percent use cologne — it is most popular among those ages 18 to 24, with 28 percent using it, according to Mintel, the market research firm. (While Axe reports that it pitches Axe primarily to men 18 to 24, the brand also is popular among adolescent boys, but Mintel does not track usage for those under 18.)

As for women, 47 percent use body spray, second to body lotion with fragrance, which is used by 59 percent, but more popular than eau de parfum (43 percent) or eau de toilette (34 percent).

For Axe Anarchy, the women’s body spray is being released in what Unilever calls a limited edition, with it possibly being offered permanently based on sales. On the men’s side only, in addition to the body spray, Anarchy also will be available as a deodorant, antiperspirant, shower gel and shampoo.

While over the last decade the women in Axe ads who throw themselves at men have consistently been stunning, the men have tended to be more average-looking, the message to male consumers being that the fragrances would attract women who would otherwise be out of their league.

In the new commercials, the actresses are no less attractive, but are not sold so short: some male actors have the chiseled features of GQ models.

“Girls in Axe advertising will always be a little better-looking than the guys, but the question is to what degree,” said Mr. Kolbusz, of Bartle Bogle Hegarty, adding that the more conventionally handsome actors in the Anarchy ads will still appeal to typical Axe users.

“The guys can look a little more aspirational in the lead roles without the average guy feeling threatened,” Mr. Kolbusz said.

Axe “is the first brand that I can think of that made the teenaged boy a hero in a way that was interesting,” said David Vinjamuri, author of “Accidental Branding” and an adjunct professor of marketing at New York University.

“If you’re a teenaged boy and you looked at the advertising, you saw the girl that you want and the guy that you are,” Mr. Vinjamuri said. “What was brilliant about Axe is they said make the girl hunt you based on your smell.”

What did not pass the sniff test with him, however, was the new plan to pitch the brand to women.

“When you start talking to someone who’s not your core audience, you lose credibility with your core audience,” Mr. Vinjamuri said. “The moment you start talking to girls, you lose credibility with teenage boys.”

source form: nytimes

My favorite place to shop for vintage is still Los Angeles. There’s a great store called Golyester; the owner, Esther, has a great eye for textiles and fun vintage, so I always find a new treasure or learn something from her.

Another great place is The Way We Wore, where I found some great Victorian cotton dresses for either vacationing in the country or the beach. The owner also sells her things on 1stdibs.com and has great finds.

London is also wonderful for all things old. I love Gallery 25 on Pimlico Road for 20th-century antiques — mostly Italian objects. My favorite find was a pair of Murano glass chandeliers from 1920 in pale cream. Also, Gordon Watson is a top-end dealer in wonderful 20th-century antiques. Gordon has mostly signed Italian antiques and these are getting more and more rare.

In Paris you can find great housewares with a fantastic range of quality and price points. I love to shop at Merci.They have everything from amazing napkins to plates to things for a country picnic as well as clothing and books.

Farther afield (I live between London, Paris and New York), I love Vietnam for custom-made clothing. They can make anything you desire and have it ready the next day. The last trip I took was to Hoi An to a place called Madame Yale. I went crazy making long pants and shirts that would protect me from mosquitoes, as I had packed all the wrong things.

In Myanmar, I love the lacquer bowls and trays. In Istanbul there are beautiful hand-woven ikat prints and embroideries. In India, I love the saris in Maheshwa. You can find them almost anyplace there; they are made of the thinnest silk and cotton. And the gold jewelry in India is beautiful.

Oh — I don’t want to forget South America. If you happen to be in Peru, don’t leave without a hand-knit sweater. There is a huge market in Cuzco where you can find anything, from a tailor who can make custom-fitted clothes while you wait to hand-woven sweaters.

source form: nytimes

The German clothing brand boosted its prestige last year by following in the footsteps of fellow chain H&M and casting supermodel Gisele Bundchen in its Winter 11/12 campaign.

Now WWD reports the label is continuing its “revamp” with a newly appointed chief product and design officer, Melody Harris-Jensbach, who will oversee all of Esprit’s in-house product creation.

Although the fashion expert used to be an executive at Puma, her expertise is not only in sportswear, with previous employers including German label Bernd Berger, celebrated for its elegant silhouettes.

With the rise of high street chains such as Forever 21, Zara and H&M on the international arena, the shake-up at Esprit follows fellow affordable brand bebe’s recent image change.

The American clothing retailer had been closely associated with a younger customer partly due to its associations with reality stars the Kardashians, although this March the store will launch its first-ever bridal collection, signaling its shift towards a more mature aesthetic.

bebe is also looking to expand in the office apparel category as well as launching its fourth fragrance called Wishes & Dreams in April.

source form: yahoo

Speaking to British newspaper The Telegraph January 9, Jacobs readdressed past reports he would be replacing former head designer John Galliano at Dior, after the latter was dismissed in March 2011 following his arrest at a Paris bar for racist and anti-Semitic behavior.

While Jacobs was flattered to be considered by LVMH chairmanBernard Arnault for the position, the designer reaffirmed his status at Louis Vuitton, arguing he still has plenty of ambitions for the fashion house he has helmed since 1997.

“It’s a great honor to be considered, and Mr Arnault is a super intelligent man and a very smart man and it was certainly a very great honor for him to know that I was capable — and not only capable but that I am someone that he would have wanted for the job.

“But I am very happy to be here. There is so much more left to do and building Louis Vuitton into a fashion company is something nobody else can say they really started,” explained the creator.

“I am really happy and I do love working here. I just think there is so much more to do.”

Just some of the expansion to come from Louis Vuitton includes the label’s first standalone fine jewelry store, which will be unveiled in Paris’s Place Vendome this month. It was also announced January 4 that the brand is planning its first fragrance since the 1930s, with master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud heading up the scent development.

Meanwhile, the most recent name associated with the Christian Dior head designer job is Belgian creator Raf Simons, with an article published in WWD last month claiming the fashion house was finalizing his contract. Other fashion heavyweights linked to the position in the past include Phoebe Philo, Riccardo Tisci and Alber Elbaz.

source form: yahoo

WWD reports the French fashion house’s artistic director Marc Jacobs worked with the Japanese artist on the range, which hits Louis Vuitton boutiques early July.

Special window installations based on Kusama’s unique aesthetic are also scheduled. The artist is best known for her interest in polka dots, which she has famously applied to tree trunks, entire rooms and even people.

The collaboration ties in with a major retrospective of Kusama’s work which hits London’s Tate Modern February 9 following spells in Rome, Madrid and Paris.

Jacobs has collaborated with contemporary artists such as Richard Prince and Takashi Murakami in the past, and in 2009 a range inspired by the late Stephen Sprouse’s motifs such as graffiti prints and roses coincided with a retrospective of the designer and artist at New York gallery Deitch Projects.

Louis Vuitton isn’t the only French fashion house with close links to the art world: during last year’s Art Basel Miami Beach fair Christian Dior unveiled an accessories line in partnership with German contemporary artist Anselm Reyle which included wallets and leather handbags in Reyle’s trademark camouflage patterns.

source form: yahoo

Wednesday January 18

16:00 Y. PROJECT BY YOHAN SERFATY
17:00 JOHN LAWRENCE SULLIVAN
18:00 MUGLER
19:00 TBC
20:00 CHRISTIAN LACROIX HOMME
21:h00 AMI ALEXANDRE MATTIUSSI

Thursday January 19

9:30 3.1 PHILLIP LIM
10:30 KOLOR
11:30 ISSEY MIYAKE MEN
12:30 RICK OWENS
13:30 VIKTOR & ROLF MONSIEUR
14:30 LOUIS VUITTON
16:00 ALEXIS MABILLE
17:00 JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
18:00 YOHJI YAMAMOTO
19:00 DRIES VAN NOTEN
20:00 ADAM KIMMEL
21:00 HENRIK VIBSKOV

Friday January 20

10:00 JUNYA WATANABE MAN
11:00 YVES SAINT LAURENT
12:00 JULIUS
13:00 GUSTAVOLINS
14:00 JUUN J.
15:00 KRISVANASSCHE
16:00 BORIS BIDJAN SABERI
17:00 COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME PLUS
18:00 GIVENCHY
19:00 JOHN GALLIANO
20:00 BERLUTI

Saturday January 21

10:00 MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA
11:00 KENZO
12:00 WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK
13:00 ANN DEMEULEMEESTER
14:00 BERNHARD WILLHELM
15:00 DIOR HOMME
16:00 WOOYOUNGMI
17:00 CERRUTI
18:00 MIHARAYASUHIRO
19:00 DAMIR DOMA
20:00 HERMÈS
21:00 RAF SIMONS

Sunday January 22

10:00 BILL TORNADE
11:00 LANVIN
12:00 AGNES B
13:00 NO EDITIONS
14:00 SONGZIO
15:00 RYNSHU
16:00 PAUL SMITH
17:00 QASIMI HOMME
18:00 THOM BROWNE
19:00 ARNYS
20:00 ACNE

source form: yahoo

Dellal, famed for her half-shaved head and being a drummer in Thrush Metal, can typically be seen wearing ripped jeans, biker jackets and fishnet tights. While this doesn’t initially appear to be in line with Chanel’s trademark Parisian chic aesthetic, there is no denying the creator’s recent Métiers D’Art collection had a rockier edge as models sported dreadlocks, heavy black eyeliner and nose piercings.

And although there has not yet been any confirmation from the French fashion house on the subject, Lagerfeld has strayed from the obvious Chanel look in the past, casting British singer Lily Allen and all-American actress Blake Lively in the Cocoon bag and Mademoiselle handbag campaigns respectively.

Meanwhile Dellal, whose sister is the founder of footwear label Charlotte Olympia, has previously fronted campaigns for Spanish high street retailer Mango as well as risqué lingerie brand Agent Provocateur.

source form: yahoo

WWD reported December 7 that the label has taken on childswear expert Catherine Monteiro de Barros as vice president of design for children’s wear, with the in-house collection currently in development.

Monteiro de Barros, who founded the now-closed luxury children’s brand Papo d’Anjo 17 years ago, has been quoted as saying she wants the line to appeal to those who “want their children to look like children” — so don’t expect creations inspired by de la Renta’s extravagant red carpet organza gowns.

There will be lines for both girls and boys, aged between 18 months and 14 years, with the first complete collection set for release at OscardelaRenta.com, freestanding stores and selected retailers for Fall 2012.

A capsule collection will also be on sale at luxury department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods, as well as at Oscar de la Renta boutiques for Spring 2012. There is currently no information on pricing.

In recent years de la Renta has created limited-edition clothing for children in honor of charitable causes, although the decision to expand more seriously follows an increasing trend for fashion savvy youngsters, spearheaded by the likes of mini style icon Suri Cruise and singer/designer Gwen Stefani’s well-heeled sons.

Over the past year labels including Stella McCartney, Fendi and Gucci have all expanded into the children’s market. Last month there were even rumors of singer-turned-designer Victoria Beckham, whose five-month old daughter Harper Seven Beckham has already been spotted in Chloé and Stella McCartney, delving into the realm of children’s design.

source form: yahoo

Leave it to Peter Philips, creative director of Chanel makeup, to create yet another gorgeous makeup look to complement the equally beautiful Chanel pre-fall collection. For the show, Philips drew inspiration from Southeast Asia and reinterpreted the kohl-rimmed eyes and bindi frequently seen on the region’s beauty icons. Head pieces and bindi received the obligatory Chanel treatment and were fashioned using chains, pyramid studs, and pearls. To help balance out the bling factor of the head pieces, Philips emphasized the eyes with heavily-smoked lids and lush lashes, and kept the rest of the face bare and natural. Read on to find out which Chanel products Philips used for this ultra-glam look!

“Start by perfecting the complexion using Perfection Lumiere Long Wear Flawless Fluid Makeup SPF 10, which you’ll apply all over the face,” says Philips. “Then, dab Eclat Lumiere Highlighting Face Pen over the high points of your face, such as your cheek bones and the bridge of your nose to add extra dimension. Cover up blemishes and dark circles using Correcteur Perfection Long Lasting Concealer in your skin tone.” To achieve the dramatic eyes in this collection, Philips lined eyes with Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in Ebene to keep the heavy eye makeup from running. Then, he smudged Le Crayon Khol Intense Eye Pencil in Black around the lashline to add depth and create a smoky effect. “I curled lashes with Chanel’s Precision Eyelash Curler and applied a generous coat of Inimitable Waterproof Mascara in Black,” says Philips, who also used Chanel’s limited edition Illusion D’ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Nirvana, (available in stores June 2012) around the entire eye and gave it a winged edge at the outer corners.

To finish off the look, Philips used more Chanel products debuting in summer 2012. “I used Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Brume d’Or to add a rosy tint to the cheeks and the new Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine in Empreinte.”

Last but certainly not least—no Chanel makeup collection is complete without a highly coveted nail polish! For this season, Philips debuted the limited edition Le Vernis Nail Color in Diwali, a gorgeous light gold lacquer. Chanel fans will surely be rushing to their nearest beauty counters to grab a bottle—will you?

source form: teenvogue

not interested in wearing your pajamas to exams? look like the a+ student that you are in these chic and practical pieces.

For both studying in the library and doing your best on exam day, these wardrobe essentials will boost your attitude—and maybe even your GPA. As final exams come rolling around this winter, you’ll want to not only study smart, but also dress smart. Comfort is key, but don’t be afraid to play around with prints, textures, silhouettes, and colors as you prepare your perfect exam-worthy ensemble. You want an outfit that’s stylish without being high-maintenance or taking too much time to plan out.

No matter how nervous you may feel inside, look confident in a pair of tasseled loafers, chic leggings, and a classic leather tote bag. Coif your hair into a high bun and order your favorite drink from Starbucks—you’ll be ready to ace your exam in no time. Teen Vogue wishes you good luck; we know you’ll make us proud!

source form: teenvogue