Microsoft says it's a "clothing line that taps the nostalgia of when PCs were just starting to change our lives," and that it aims to "showcase the DOS days of the software company that now connects over a billion people." What's next for this software giant? No. Seriously... what's next? Linens? Perfume? Despite all the sarcasm, the shirts look cool.

Click here to learn more!

The geeks now have another uniform!

Everyone was mainly optomistic, given the current shaky climate, and said instead it is an opportunity for companies to re-focus the essentials of their brands.

"Define and redefine your look," said Posen, whose mentor, the late Hal Ruttenstein, had also advised him. "Create your own look, and know who you are and know who the customer is." But, he added, "There's no formula."

"Communicate your truth to a wide audience," said Alex Gonzalez, who founded his own advertising agency ,"but don't speak to the lowest common denominator to survive. Hold to the truth."

Mindy Grossman of HSN, Inc., said that brands that can tell a story and connect on a deeper level with their customers will survive.

"We offer great stories and great storytelling, and we understand what our customer is thinking and feeling," she said of her popular shopping channel. "There's never any bad news on HSN," she joked. "If you're tired of watching CNN, watch HSN!" She also said that the products you sell have to be unique or special, something that "you can't get anywhere else, but is accessible."

Les Steiger, who said that at Macy's they add 20 new brands each year to their stable, said that it's harder to launch a full collection initially, so "find a niche, whether it's shoes or it's t-shirts," he said.

Mary Alice Stephenson pointed to the internet as a tool enabling brands to have more of an emotional connect with their audiences - now, even luxury brands selling $100,000 diamonds have original content on the Web.

"Fashion has to be inspirational," she said. "Luxury brands have to communicate what buying their product makes you feel on the inside and how good it makes you feel."

Still, the rules for luxury brands have changed, the panelists agreed, but that doesn't mean designers or companies shouldn't take risks.

"Everyone I know is cutting back in some way," said Steiger. "We're competing for that discretionary dollar. But in fashion, we need continued innovation."

Born Free USA, Animal Protection Institute and Emagazine have teamed up and came up with a great idea.: FFFashion! It is a fur-free fashion design competition. The point is to promote the ethical and environmental benefits of not using fur while giving independent designers an opportunity to showcase their talent for a worthy cause. There will be several green-celebrities that do the judging such as Summer Rayne Oakes, Sophie Uliano and Brita Belli. This sounds so exciting and I can’t wait to see/hear more about it! I think it is about time we start looking at the world around us and caring and preserving it for what it is.

More here

• U.S. households this season will spend an average of $418, down from $471
• Only 27% of households plan to spend more than $500 on holiday gifts
• People living in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin are expected to spend the most-about $550
• Online shopping- 39% of shoppers say they plan to do their holiday shopping online. The most common items to buy are books, followed by toys and games and then apparel and footwear.
• Households with people 65+ will spend $469 on gifts
• Households with people ages 35 to 44 will spend $419 on gifts
• Households with incomes $50,000+ will spend $551 on gifts

“This is shaping up to be one of the most challenging holiday seasons in years, and it’s going to take more than the usual discounts and incentives for retailers to get consumers to spend more freely,” --Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center.

Article Here

His fascination for beauty and models started at a young age. He studied at the High School of Art and Design [NYC] and Parsons School of Design [NYC] where he majored in fashion illustration.

One of Meisel's first jobs was to work for fashion designer Halston as an illustrator. Meisel never thought he could become a photographer. Later on, while working at Women's Wear Daily as an illustrator, he went to Elite model agency where two girls working there allowed him take pictures of some of their models. Some of these models took their pictures to Seventeen magazine to show their model books and the people at Seventeen subsequently called Meisel and asked if he wanted to work with them.Meisel currently works for many different fashion magazines, including fashion bibles such as US and Italian Vogue, amongst others. He has been the only photographer for Italian Vogue's cover for almost 15 years.

If you don't know, now you know!

Adding to the exclusivity of Fashion Avenue is a dedicated VIP valet entrance with onyx cladding, white marble flooring and an intricately designed glass ceiling. A special event facility is also part of the area.
Besides an array of shopping, the mall has a number of entertainment options. It hosts the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink; an indoor waterfall that drops four levels; KidZania, a children’s “edu-tainment” center; a SEGA Republic theme park, and a 22-screen cineplex, the largest in the region.

One of the mall’s most complex attractions is the Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre. Set in the center of the mall, visitors can enter a 270-degree walk-through tunnel to view over 33,000 aquatic creatures, including 400 sharks, the largest single school of sharks on earth. The aquarium holds 2.6 million gallons of salt water. A team of aquatic experts from Australia is managing the project.

The Dubai Mall, which also has an adjoining five-star hotel, The Address, is part of the Downtown Burj Dubai development.

P.S. - Is it just me or does he always look like impeccably dressed?

P.P.S. - Photos via justjared.

But this:

...is ridiculous!

So, I write:

Dear Mr. Jacobs,

As a dedicated customer and a woman who is in love with everything you make, I have recently come upon an item in your Spring 2009 that has made me uber concerned with your label. I'm going to write it off as a mistake by the media... who told everyone that this was your shoe. I'm not quite sure if you can sue for defaming your brand, because the Good Lord knoooowwwsss that this had to be a mistake. But don't worry, I have rallied all my girls and we forgive you. We forgive you, the designers who work under you, the merchandisers who are attempting to sell this shit, the buyers of department stores who are stocking it on shelves and the little workers in the sweatshops who did not say "NO" when forced to make this atrocious shoe. We forgive you all. Just don't let it happen again!

hugs&kisses,
jenelle

No bail out for this company.
R.I.P- Steve & Barry's