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Jewelry’s salability amidst competition from shoes and bags, and what to call costume baubles were among the topics at this week’s panel discussion co-hosted by the Metropolitan Chapter of the Women’s Jewelry Association and VERANDA magazine.

Held on May 16 from 6–8 p.m. in the Hearst Tower at 57th Street, “Objects of Desire, Lessons from Leaders in Jewelry, Fashion & Style” featured Fashion Week creator Fern Mallis as moderator and three speakers: New York City-based jewelry designer Alexis Bittar; Dara Caponigro, Veranda editor-in-chief; and Lori Goldstein, fashion stylist.

The highlights of the conversation:

Fe…………… continues on Jewelers Circular Keystone Online

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The year 2008 was a big one — both for the United States and for Katie Ermilio.

The then-22-year-old had just graduated from college, and had decided to leave her position as an assistant at Teen Vogue and strike out on her own as a couturier. The country had just elected Barack Obama president — which meant Michelle Obama would need something to wear to the 2009 inaugural ball. So when The Washington Post announced a contest for people to design a gown for her, Ermilio submitted sketches.

Robin Givhan, then The Post’s fashion critic, picked the winner: Ermilio.

The win was a hint at a bright future for the Philadelphia native. So what has happened since then?

To refresh your memory: Her family has a storied history in textiles. Her grandfather designed for Grace Kelly; her father runs his own bespoke tailoring business.

“I’d grown up in it, and I had absolutely no desire to design clothing whatsoever,” Ermilio remembers of her formative years. “I think that everybody in my life growing up would probably say that that’s something that they remember me for, is loving clothes. I just didn’t necessarily ever want to design them, I think, because I did…………… continues on Washington Post

By JACK CORAGGIO,
ANDY THIBAULT

We’ve got a lot of stories this Wednesday for you. Click each link below to learn more about the day’s funding news.

If you’re hankering for more funding news throughout the day, you can subscribe to our Deals Channel RSS feed by either clicking the red RSS icon at the top of this page or adding the Deals Channel feed link to your favorite reader. And as always, send funding news our way at tips@venturebeat.com.

Mocavo grabs funding for its family tree

TechStars 2011 alum Mocavo has raised $ 4 million in its first round of funding in a bid to help people find their ancestors through its search engine. The funding comes from Foundry Group. Seth Levine, Foundry Group’s Managing Director, will join Mocavo’s board.

Wave Accounting nabs $ 12M

Small business startup Wave Accounting has raised $ 12 million in its second round of funding, the company announced today. Wave, which offers free accounting software for small companies, says managing “the books” is a complicated and dreaded task that isn’t any easier thanks to desktop accounting software. Social+Capita…………… continues on VentureBeat

New Delhi: Director Dibakar Banerjee says his upcoming political thriller ‘Shanghai’, starring Abhay Deol and Emraan Hashmi in the lead, deals with the two halves of India, who keep warring against each other.

“Abhay represents the educated middleclass dream of forward looking and so called progressive India while Emraan is the average guy who is left behind. These are the two parts India is divided into. In ‘Shanghai’, Abhay and Emraan depict the two halves of India which are in many ways warring against each other for a bigger share in the pie,” Dibakar told PTI in an interview.

It was not much of a change for Dibakar to move to a political thriller after directing films like ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’, ‘Oye Lucky Lucky Oye’ and ‘Love Sex Aur Dhoka’. While his earlier films dealt with social issues, politics takes over as the central theme in ‘Shanghai’, an adaptation of Greek author Vassilis Vassilikos’ celebrated book Z. Also starring Kalki Koechlin and Prosenjit Chatterjee in key roles, the film releases this June.

IBNLive

“Politics in our country defines the way we live o…………… continues on IBNLive.com

Calvin Klein’s Costa stirring more attention

By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL, AP Fashion Writer – 58 minutes ago 

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Costa has waited — patiently — to make his big splash.

He jumped in as creative director for womenswear at Calvin Klein with both feet when he was handpicked by Klein almost a decade ago, but he’s been a behind-the-scenes player, slowly, steadily building up his portfolio and profile while staying true to the house’s DNA of minimalist, modern design.

He has scored some big awards, including twice being named best women’s designer by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and winning a national design award from the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt Museum. He’s also had some memorable red-carpet moments — Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lawrence wore his designs at last year’s Oscars and Emily Blunt was dressed in Calvin Klein at the Met Gala last week — just to name a few. Still, he doesn’t make a lot of noise, and he doesn’t generate the gossipy whisper campaigns that the fashion crowd often eats up.

When Costa took over, there wasn’t the industry intrigue that surrounded the recent appointments of Raf Simmons at Christian Dior or Hedi Slimane at Yves Saint Laurent, although in the world of American fashion, Calvin Klein is one of the best-kno…………… continues on The Associated Press

NBC’s hit fashion competition series Fashion Star has named out designer Kara Laricks as the next big brand in fashion! As the winner of Fashion Star Season 1, three of the country’s largest retailers – Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and H&M – purchased $ 6 million of capsule collection designs from Kara.

Before Kara entered the Fashion Star competition, she was a fourth grade teacher who left her job to work as a fashion designer. Throughout the competition she wanted to show her former students that you really can be whoever you want to be, and its ok to be yourself. In one episode she admitted her regret that she was not an “out gay, proud role model” for her students. Kara showed that she is proud of who she is during the entire season, and we admire her for that!

Each episode of the show featured a different challenge for the designers, as one of the original 14 designers was sent home each week for eight weeks. During week nine, three of the final six designers were eliminated, leaving Kara, Nzimiro Oputa and Ronnie Escalante as the Season 1 finalists.

Here is a round up of the amazing designs Kara put down the runway each week:

In the pilot episode, Kara opted to send only an accessory – her collar-tie made from parts of a men’s collared shirt – down the runway. It was a risky move, and she did not receive any…………… continues on Round Up of her Killer Designs – SheWired

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Savannah College of Art and Design fashion students were waiting to learn if they’d be chosen to show their work in the 2012 SCAD Fashion Show. Only the work of top graduating seniors is presented, and the show has become one of the highest regarded student fashion shows in the country.

“About an hour ago, I found out I was one of 20 students chosen to be in the SCAD Fashion Show 2012,” says fashion major Annabel Armstrong. “I would say that takes the cake. All six outfits of my collection will be shown.”

Students are selected by a jury that critiques every aspect of their work from sketch to garment. The popular annual fashion show will be presented May 19 — and both sessions already have sold out.

Click here to read about Savannah Fashion Week events, including the Thursday runway show at the Lucas Theatre.

Armstrong came to SCAD from Milton, Mass.

“My mom taught me to sew when I was 5 years old,” she says. “I started to make clothing, and have been ever since.

“I had a wonderful advisor in high school who saw SCAD as a great fit for me,” Armstrong explains. “My concentration in fashion design is women’s sportswear.”

S…………… continues on Savannah Morning News

Today’s trend in the fashion world to “go green” made a splash with young designers in a special runway show May 4 at Wagner High School featuring the theme, “Live Green. Love Green. Wear Green.”

Hundreds of classmates and family members cheered as students sported environmentally friendly fashions using recycled materials.

Junior Frances Garcia handcrafted a dress adorned with green beads at the top and a bottom made of paper towels. She painstakingly hand-painted zebra stripes on the paper. It took three months for her to produce the striking garment.

Brigete Aguilar, 17, said she wanted to create something avant-garde. She attached woven pages from a variety of magazines to a petticoat with a petite train. She had the privilege of showcasing her skirt on television just days before the event.

“I went on the San Antonio Living show. It was surreal,” said Aguilar, who begins fashion design classes at the International Academy of Design and Tech…………… continues on San Antonio Express

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“The summer before my junior year of college, I was stretched out on the floor, reading Vogue while lying on my stomach, and it came to me: ‘I want to be a fashion designer.’ ”

Julia LoVan, 31, was attending Northwestern College in Orange City at the time, studying fine arts. She had watched her mother sew while growing up, and always had an interest in fashion and sewing clothes.

Despite her lack of formal training, she switched her major to apparel design and signed up for a study abroad program in London, where she interned for Zandra Rhodes and the Fashion and Textile Museum. When she returned to the states, finding a job was tough, so she moved to Atlanta to do a year of mission work.

“When I returned home, I started to realize that no one really wanted to hire me, because I didn’t have the skill level that my peers had,” she said. “So I decided to do mission work, which is another passion of mine.”

LoVan spent a year in Atlanta with Mission Year, a faith-based nonprofit focused on urban neighborhoods and realized she wanted to work in fashion and social justice. There, she bought a sewing machine to sew clothes for herself and her roommates.

“It was something I really enjoyed, not only because it was saving us money, but because I was able to create,” she said.

A year later, LoVan moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career i…………… continues on DesMoinesRegister.com

Unique Dog Clothes, Dog Beds, and Dog Collars are exactly what every designer dog store needs. Shark Tank has provided Puppy Love with the entrepreneurial inspiration to provide this luxury to their customers!

Beaumont, Texas (PRWEB) May 15, 2012

Puppy Love Dog Store now offers exclusive lines of dog clothes, dog beds, dog carriers, and more! ABC’s Shark Tank isn’t just promoting small business and a better economy through personal investments anymore. As avid Shark Tank fans, these small business owners took a few notes from the popular ABC show Shark Tank to better their small business. The Sharks always make a point to ask what makes a business any different from every other one in it’s niche? Inspired by the Sharks, Puppy Love created their own line of unique dog accessories and more!

Puppy Love created something better and exclusive to their dog boutique and their customers. Mark Cuban once said a business owner needs to “be an entrepreneur, not a wantrepreneur.” This dog boutique took this to heart and created designer

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Heavy May rains have destroyed thousands of tons of spuds in the ground.

Shops are still selling potatoes held in cold storage since last year’s bumper crop.

Robert Miles of retail analysts Mintec said: “These don’t last forever and, anyway, are not suitable for all uses. Early or new potatoes do not store well.

“This is where heavy rains are making an impact — delaying the lifting of new potatoes and, more worryingly, delaying main crop plantings. The days of cheap spuds could soon be over.”

It makes sense if you can to stock up on frozen chips ahead of the inevitable price rises.

TESCO have 907g bags of McCain oven chips for £1, saving 50p, and 1.5kilo bags of own-brand thin and crispy chips for £1, saving 37p.

Online supermarket OCADO have 907g bags of Aunt Bessie’s crinkle cut chips for £1.50, saving 50p.

WAITROSE have two 750g bags of McCain lightly spiced wedges or sea salt & pepper wedges for £2.50, saving up to £1.10. They also have 907g bags of Aunt Bessie’s crinkle cut for £1.50, a saving of 50p.

ASDA have 1.8kilo bags of McCain home chips for £2, saving 84p.

Not on offer but good value are their £1 kilo bags of Chosen By You French fries and £1 kilo bags of Good For You oven chips.

Bargains at continues on The Sun

They’re your least favorite pieces of clothing: bathing suits. Very few people look great in them, and even fewer enjoy stripping down in a mall dressing room to try them on. But contrary to most theories on when to buy swimwear, you can find deals year-round.

“It’s surprising, but a lot of swimwear is available in November for that resort time frame, which means you can get swimwear year-round,” said Erin McCormick, swimwear buyer at Lands’ End. It also means deals are available year-round.

While the traditional thrift, vintage and rental concepts are out — no one wants to share swimsuits — there are ways to find a reasonable, solid suit without shelling out three figures and regretting your purchase.

The experts stress that shopping the sales is important, but how and what you buy matters if you’re investing in a suit that can last years. Here’s what you need to know.

The bottom line

Bathing suits elude the standard vintage and rental tricks we use to save money on clothes. But there are times to buy, places to shop and methods for caring for a suit that can ensure you get the most for your money. Invest in the suit you can afford and in a style that flatters your body, and you’ll want to wear it over and over.

When to shop<…………… continues on Washington Post

LOS ANGELES – Fashion jewelry design is in the midst of a renaissance the likes of which we haven’t seen since the 1980s. And Alexis Bittar blazed the trail. In the last two decades, the New York-based jewelry designer has gone from selling his signature colorful, hand-carved Lucite pieces on the streets of SoHo to bejeweling leading ladies in Hollywood and beyond, including Lady Gaga, First Lady Michelle Obama, Madonna, Cameron Diaz, Meryl Streep and Rihanna. At the same time, he’s managed to keep the core of his collection in an accessible $ 225-to-$ 645 price range.

Bittar has also challenged the definition of fashion muse by eschewing prepubescent models in his ad campaigns in favor of women, such as eccentric octogenarian Iris Apfel, “Dynasty” diva Joan Collins and, most recently, “Ab Fab” stars Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.And now, with a recent influx of cash from private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners, Bittar is ready to expand his vision globally and to introduce a new, higher-priced line of jewelry in sterling silver and gold that will debut next year.He’s already one of the most prolific jewelry designers in the business, turning out hundreds of pieces each season that incorporate innovative materials such as molten metals, reconstituted coal and Lucite, which was big in the 1950s and is currently having another mom…………… continues on Kansas City Star

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No other haute-couture designer has been as closely associated with popular culture as Jean Paul Gaultier. Where contemporaries such as Alexander McQueen imbued his designs with a dark, 19th-century romanticism, and Miuccia Prada became known for marrying clean lines to an effortless, luxurious elegance, Gaultier has always been heavily influenced by the street, in all its multicultural and changing forms. This fascination with the world around him found its expression in many of his iconic ensembles: tight shirts resembling tattooed bodies; menswear inspired by traditional female garments; underwear as outerwear.

“I have been always influenced more by reality…to try to make it like people in the streets. It’s the best compliment,” said the 60 year-old designer at the San Francisco press preview for his solo exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, which opened at the De Young Museum in San Francisco in March.

And when they say “fashion world,” they mean it. The exhibit is a multimedia extravaganza, from the moment one walks into “The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier,” a blue-hued gallery, reminiscent of an aquarium, populated by French sailors and mermaids. There are six segments to the exhibition, eac…………… continues on Highbrow Magazine

Designers like Ritu Kumar and James Ferreira believe the Indian design industry is ahead of just bridal lines.

“I think we have such a rich textile base in India that even if you look at the designers in India working on textiles alone, you could hardly call them tailors,” design veteran Ritu Kumar said.

“I`m also a designer and I work a lot in the field and unit too, it`s nothing to do with the tailoring. I think Manish is going a little out of context. I totally disagree with his words,” added Kumar, who has been a part of India`s flourishing fashion fraternity for four decades.

Arora himself flaunts a tattoo which reads `Lady Tailor` and hosted a TV show called ‘Adventures of the Ladies Tailor’. But his comment has raised many eyebrows in the fashion industry.

“We are making what costumers want, so my question to him (Arora) is what is he making and for whom is he doing it?” said Ferreira, who is currently working on his collection in Sri Lanka.

Ferreira, 55, who started his career from retailing in up-market stores in Mumbai and designed for cine stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty, says the country`s upcoming designers are extremely talented.

“I think he (Arora) is talking about the time when he was growing as designer in Mumbai. I believe that young designers are very talented in our country and I find…………… continues on Zee News

“Every day, I think about fashion,” says Nicole Box.

Nicole, a Southern Illinois native, learned to sew when she was 14; her mom taught her. “We didn’t have a lot of money,” she says. “So I made some [clothes] for myself in high school.”

Flash forward to 2011. That’s when Box established her own fashion label, Fouche Couture (Fouche is her maiden name).

But the road from teenage seamstress to fashion designer had its share of bumps and detours. At one point, “I almost gave up,” Box says of her dreams.

Her journey started after high school. “I decided to go to L.A.,” she says. Box, also an artist, sold paintings to pay for her flight. She knew her mom didn’t want her to go, so she didn’t tell her. “I called [Mom] from the airport and told her I was in Los Angeles,” Box says.

In California, she enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, a world-renowned design school. While there she took classes taught by Nick Verreos, who competed on season two of “Project Runway.”

Before she could finish her degree, however, tragedy intervened. Box says she returned home to Illinois to help her mom after her brother died.

…………… continues on Southeast Missourian