Vogue, albeit the Italian version, has broken down fashion barriers with it’s July 08 issue. The magazine has taken the unprecedented step of only featuring black models.

Italian Vogue has broken one of the fashion world’s taboos by featuring only black models in its July 2008 issue.

The pictures by New-York based Steven Meisel, one of the most successful photographers in the industry, fill about 100 pages of the magazine, and are accompanied by features on black women in the arts and entertainment.

Meisel, who worked with Madonna on her controversial coffee-table book, Sex, brought several of the black fashion world’s big names aboard for the issue. He photographed Naomi Campbell, Iman, Tyra Banks, Liya Kebede, Jourdan Dunn, Alek Wek and Pat Cleveland, among others.

Italian Vogue’s editor, Franca Sozzani, said her decision was influenced by the New York group, as well as by Barack Obama’s success in the US presidential primaries. Full Article

Lets hope this is the start of a new approach to the media’s categorisation of beauty. Roll on the plus size models (who incidentally are classed as any model over a UK size 10).

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The Famous Red Sole

According to a survey by the Luxury Institute Christian Louboutin’s shoes are currently The ‘most sought after shoe’. The famous shoes, with their trade mark vinyl red soles, were so coveted that they topped a survey in June 2008.

The shoes normally retail between £400 and £800 a pair and are staple of many celebrity wardrobes, who love the paparazzi attracting red flash as they walk.

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Christian Louboutin’s new flagship store is now to open in Mayfair, London.

French shoe designer, Christian Louboutin, famous for red-soled shoes, has taken a 2,850 sq ft store on two floors at 17 Mount Street at around £162,500 a year. This is the second store to open in London for Louboutin this year, who also opened a new store in the in Harvey Nichols, London.

Christian Louboutin already have a store in London, at 23 Motcomb Street Knightsbridge, SW1X 8LB, though with the stores in Harvey Nichols, and the new flagship store relatively close (only 1.5 miles away), it is not known if they will keep this.

Mount Street, Mayfair is becoming increasingly popular with luxury designers with recent the recent additions to the street including the classic Parisian designer Balenciaga. Other luxury shops on Mount Street are: Marc Jacobs, Nicky Clarke, and Sautter of Mayfair. There is some excellent dining on the street as well.

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H&M is now moving into the “Organic” market, and is increasing its efforts to produce clothes made from ethical sources. These clothes are due to be launched across their department stores in Autumn 2009.

The retailer has also announced it will incorporate other organic materials such as recycled wool and polyester. “We are now using organic cotton in all departments,” said H&M Head of Design, Ann-Sofie Johansson.

In the same month Stella McCartney has released her own organic range exclusively at Harvey Nichols.

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On July 3rd 2008 Stella McCartney launched the first ever Stella McCartney Organic Collection.

The launch was held at Harvey Nichols 5th Floor restaurant, with guests including , Sophie Ellis Bextor, Corrine Day, Laura Bailey, Camille Belle, Dasha Zhukova, and Bella Freud.

Stella said “The biggest compliment tonight was that most of the people here didn’t even know the collection was organic.”

The 20-piece Organic Collection has all been ethically sourcing. The collection is now available at Harvey Nichols, exclusively.

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Matches is a boutique chain of eleven stores based across, North and South West London. Regularly used by celebrities and the fashion forward, Matches has become the one stop shop for well chosen designer pieces. Most of the stores carry a range of carefully selected designers however MaxMara and Diane von Fustenberg are featured however, the stores also have space allocated to emerging and new designers.

Every season they edit the international collections right down to the most sought after key pieces and are a really good indicator of chic. It is very hard to ‘go wrong’ in Matches and they even have different ‘atmospheres’ in each shop, to enable clients to furthur individually identify with the brand.

Regularly referenced in the media, Matches is fast moving from a small chain of boutiques to a wider market with the introduction of their online shopping service. Global domination awaits.

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Henman Hill, with its comedy facepaint and sensible flasks of tea, is so last year; Wimbledon 2008 is a whole new world of glamour. A bevy of long-legged, highly paid teenage eastern European beauties, parading eye-popping outfits in front of a star-studded audience whose seats are determined in a fierce hierarchy – why, it’s as if Paris fashion week has been transported to SW19.

Full article – The Guardian

If you get bored of looking at the Wimbledon tennis style, why not come to Wimbledon fashion weeks final day? Tomorrow will see shows from up and coming British designers including the Mouille beachwear collection in the afternoon. Designer Sarah is very passionate about swim wear and has incorporated some unique twists to her bikinis and cut out suits. Other highlights tomorrow include Kate Tailyour and Chichia London and the Miss Wimbledon competition at 7pm.

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This weekend, 5th July 2008, Wimbledon Fashion Week comes to its finale. The show is based at the Antoinette Hotel in Wimbledon, SW19.

The show which has been running since 30th June 2008 and has featured a range of designers including: Heba Elawadi, Aaron Ray Downie, VC-Clothing, Adil Iqbal and Georgie W. Couture.

Already this week there have been some celebrity guests visting the fashion week, including Quincy Jones and Beverly Knight.

Related Article – Wimbledon Style

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