Takumi Jeans and Shirts – the hand-crafted Japanese collection – for the fashion savvy male who appreciates simple but beautiful designs. The fall ’07 collection is made up of selvedge denim and luxury shirts, and will make its debut at MAGIC in February 2007.

Southern California native, Luis Pedroza spent the last decade living and working throughout Asia and Europe. His passion for the Japanese textile tradition combined with his experience abroad helped to inspire this sophisticated urban collection.

All pieces are produced in small numbers, all hand-crafted in Japan. Takumi’s selvedge jeans are made from denim woven on old style shuttle looms, which have been abandoned by most American and European manufactures. While the old-style shuttle looms are slower and more costly to operate than modern projectile looms, denim made on antique looms is stronger, with a unique finish. “Several years ago, I became increasingly frustrated when I tried to find a pair of authentic ‘classic’ style jeans – the kind that James Dean or a California rancher would have worn in the ‘50’s. All the jeans were either over embellished or over distressed. I am sure other men feel the same. I appreciate quality and style, but I don’t want to look like a teenager,” said founder Pedroza. Takumi’s Japanese denim is available in vintage and classic cuts, coming in indigo selvedge, black selvedge, and black Japanese corduroy. Retail price points range from $258-298.

Takumi luxury shirts combine modern looks with an old world attention to detail, featuring hand rolled canvas collars, contrasting fabric on cuffs, gussets on side seams and extra thick shell buttons. “The shirts are an ode to bespoke tailoring. Finely sewn shirts are hard to find in the States. In Europe and Asia tailors take great pride in their work. I have tried to emulate this love and attention to detail in the Takumi line,” added Pedroza. The luxury shirts are available with a French or barrel cuff and come in a variety of high-end fabrics and textures. Retail price points range from $189-198.

Fred Perry, the archetypal British MOD brand, intends to explode onto the American market in 2007. “We’ve been around for three seasons, but we’ve purposely kept the business very small,”; said David Ward, sales director for Fred Perry. “This is a proper launch for the first time for the women’s wear business in the U.S. It’s such a major market, you can’t just do it half-cocked. You can’t just bang your little cymbals and hope the whole country will hear”.

DKNY Jeans decides to take a step into the global market. DKNY Jeans has signed an agreement with Club 21 Retail Holdings to take DKNY Jeans into the European and Asian markets. “Club 21 is already a partner in some very important territories in Asia,” said Mark Weber, chief executive officer of Donna Karan International. “This is our opportunity now to do it the right way with the right partners who understand the business and understand the DKNY brand. The opportunity to grow is great.”

“The DKNY brand is a much bigger brand than the business that’s currently available,” said weber, who described the existing Asian and European DKNY Jeans business as “very small and sporadic.”

“There’s an appetite for this brand,” Weber said. “Globally, in DKNY accessories and ready-to-wear, we have a very strong business and it’s growing. Jeans is the natural extension to the business.”

Despite being the most counterfeited fashion brand in the world, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton reported a 30 percent increase in 2006 profits to €1.88 billion. “ The excellent performance in 2006 illustrates the vitality of our major brands which continue to strengthen and gain market share,” chairman Bernard Arnault said in a statement. “The year also confirmed the strong potential of our high growth rising star brands and the Group’s leading position in emerging markets.”

The Fendi brand demonstrated enormous growth, while Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan also showed strong results. Meanwhile, the Louis Vuitton brand is performing well in new markets and there will be more store openings in the Ukraine and Russia. Among the group’s most profitable brands were Louis Vuitton, Parfums Christian Dior, Moët & Chandon, Hennessy and Tag Heuer.

The fashion and leather goods division achieved its biggest growth in Asia with 19 percent, followed swiftly by Europe with 18 percent. Japan recorded a very modest growth of 1 percent.

“People look at me and David and they see fashion, they see family, they see sports. I think there are people who want to be a part of that. It’s aspirational.” purs Vicky Beckham as she lays the ground for her new fashion line aptly called dVb.

“We are passionate about what we do, so let’s see what happens. I am the first one to admit, do people really know who we are in America?” says Vicky. “Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. We are very realistic about that. For David, it’s about really cracking the back of soccer and trying to make it as successful as it is in the rest of the world. We have come here for a reason: to do the best we can with the soccer and with the brand.”

After the Rock & Republic debacle you’d have thought Vicky would have given fashion the old heave-ho, but she’s one dogged bird and you have to admire her for that.

Nowadays most leading denim brands seem to seek the washed, soft and stylish denim whereas Yoropiko Tailored Denim by Martin Yatming is reverting to the good old days, which is “art vintage” selvedge denim. This style begun with “RMC” jeans which was the beginning of the “made in Japan premium denim hype” in the world market.  The designer of RMC, Martin Ksohoh (Martin Yatming above) was born and raised in Hong Kong and now has a house in West Japan (Okayama) city, where he has become the world’s hottest denim designer.

In 2000, he started to make his idea for a new denim brand RMC. For him denim is an art and very close to human skin. Meaning that it has to be artistic but the same time very comfortable to wear.  He came up with an idea of making the back pockets to express the art piece in embroidery. After many years of research and development, he invented a technique to make the pockets soft enough for people to wear comfortable after embroidery.  He chose natural colour cotton to be the high quality indigo fabric, then use KIMONO threads for the embroidery for the back pockets.  His art is inspired from the history of the ORIENT, and his challenge has been to make the details of the art come to life on denim.

 A long list of celebrity friends of Marc Jacobs are turning out to celebrate the designer at his first Marc by Marc Jacobs show in London. The guest list includes Sofia Coppola, Selma Blair, Rufus Wainwright, Naomi Campbell, Isla Fisher and Kate Moss. The show is set for Friday at 7:00 pm at Claridge’s.

On Wednesday, Selfridges opened its first Marc by Marc Jacobs in-store boutique. The 1,000 square foot space offers the largest selection of Marc by Marc Jacobs in Europe, with a range of clothing, accessories and watches.

Dolce & Gabbana clothing has an unrivalled reputation for synergising High Fashion and Sex Appeal. The fashion house has created an almost esoteric dimension to there fashion. In fact, you could say they’ve discovered the secret of fashion’s version of alchemy! Dolce and Gabbana stepped up their sex appeal and edged towards the boundary of eroticism in their latest exploit.

Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana bare it all for W magazine

Italian designers, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were photographed in their Portofino escape for W magazine’s February issue by photographer Steven Klein. The duo stripped for Klein’s camera, literally unveiling not only their bodies, but also their fantasies, fears, transgressions and dreams of their lives – to show the world what it means to be…Dolce Vita! And Fellini together with Pasolini, Helmut Newton and Visconti, is one of the references that Steven Klein uses to stage the two designers’ dreamlike visions; balancing both erotic tension and sexy glamour masterfully.

Paul & Shark, the brand most famously known for it’s inimitable Paul & Shark Shirts and Paul & Shark Jackets, keeps pushing the boundaries of fashion as it presents its S/S 2007 collection.

Paul & Shark for the 2007 spring-summer season inaugurates a new mood to conceive its collections. Collections into collections, yes just so, a new mood to live a lifestyle preferred by who chooses Paul & Shark in the city, at the beach, in the spare time, for sport and travel.

Riviera Maya was the destination selected for this first magazine subdivided in a sort of four chapters. Paul & Shark is present in Mexico since many years with its stores in the capital and in the greater cities as Monterrey and just the last summer opened a very beautiful store at Cancun at the first floor of the downtown luxurious shopping Mall Luxury Avenue. To welcome the last shop opened in Riviera Maya Paul & Shark decided to come here with its troupe one year and a half after the disaster of Hurricane Wilma also as testimonial that tourism is a way to help a Country destroyed by the incredible force of the wind and that in few days ruined a complete coast.

Kitmeout has received a sneak preview of a collaboration between Yoropiko and Eastman Leather Clothing. As one of the hottest new brands around, Yoropiko needs no introduction. Eastman Leather Clothing specialise in making extremely authentic, high quality reproductions of WWII vintage flight jackets and accessories. Established in 1984, Eastman flight jackets have found their way to every corner of the globe. Even to the Silver Screen of Hollywood itself, gracing the backs of the famous in films such as: Pearl Harbor, Space Cowboys and Harts War.

The collaboration reputedly is based on an authentic Eastman flight jacket which has been embellished with Martin Yatming’s trademark embroidery. The images show the jacket in early progress. The word is the jacket will retail for over £3,000! There are reports that there will be only 40 of the 1940s flight jacket and 42 of the 1942 flight jacket produced worldwide.

Lacoste funks up the French Riviera for Spring/Summer 2007! Just imagine if Prince threw an Under the Cherry Moon party tonight at the palatial Eden Roc Hotel on the Cap d’Antibes and you had nothing to wear….?? This thought inspired Lacoste creative director Christophe Lemaire for this Spring/Summer 2007 collection. Christophe has taken the relaxed elegance of the 1930’s French Riviera and funked it up!! Referencing the 1980’s but spinning a decidedly contempoary fashion tale. The whole collection is destined to have a major impact in 2007!

Nom de Guerre is a creative collective founded by Holly Harnsongkram, Wil Whitney, Devon Turnbull, and Isa Saalabi. The concept of the collective is to combine basic and diverse influences from art, fashion, and various New York subcultures to create a composite culture and product.

The spring/summer 2007, collection combines inspiration from sources such as the 1966, surf classic, The Endless Summer; the paintings of the French, Post-Impressionist, Paul Gauguin; and the colonial uniform of early Western anthropologists and explorers that traveled to the Pacific Islands.

This season, the line also takes books — their settings and the imagery conjured up solely by description — and uses these influences. Jack London’s, Call of the Wild, yielded inspiration, as did the worlds of writers such as Jack Kerouac and Yukio Mishima.

The spring collection is made from fine cotton suit and shirting fabrics, with waxed cotton outerwear. The classically styled knits are silk blends; and cotton denim and lightweight cotton fleece round out the selection.

Nom de Guerre also features collaborative clothing available in the Nom de Guerre store, made with Buzz Rickson; and collaborative footwear made with Converse Jack Purcell, Russel Moccasin Company, and Trickers London.

Paris Hilton has been chosen to become the face of Fila. The American heiress and wannabee actress come singer has signed a deal with Fila Korea to appear in a number of commercials. Fila said it chose Paris to front its brand because of her sexy public image, fashion consciousness and prominant profile. Fila is convinced she will be an important trendsetter for the brand in 2007. In addition to the promotional activities planned from March onward, some of which will also take place in Los Angeles, the sportswear company will also launch a Fila collection by Paris Hilton. According to a spokesman for the firm, details of the collection are not yet known. Keep ’em peeled for Paris!

The Yohji Yamamoto Y-3 Autumn 2007 Collection released at Hunter College’s basketball court didn’t go down like a Magic Johnson baloncesto covered in vasoline but that’s not what Yohji’s about. The man likes to design in the hinterland where corporate mentality and regimented style fear to tread. The Y-3 Autumn 2007 Collection is poetry in clothe: The big and baggy sweat pants, the over-sized sweaters, the cropped biker jackers… all have an odd but engaging sense of fashion. The word on the vine is that Yohji Yamamoto jeans are also destined to cause a stir in 2007.

The outrageous New Balance x Yoropiko “Hungry Dragon” Limited 574 Project had it’s launch at the Dragon-I in Hong Kong on the 5th. This is without doubt one of the major collaborations of the year, drawing on New Balance’s reputation and Martin Yatming’s unique artistry in denim design. Martin Yatming is famously known as Marin Ksohoh, the designer of RMC.

This is a true collector’s piece and is limited to 1 set for each of the following major Asian and Australian cities: HK, Tokyo, Korea, Shanshi, Taiwan, Singapore and Sydney (Australia). Each has 10 colour-ways and each set also has complimenting denim jackets and ridiculously lavish jeans! The price starts at a jaw-dropping US$2,300 and the highest bidder in each country gets the kudos of own this unique piece of fashion history-in-the-making! What’s more, no two cities will have the same colour-ways; every set is unique.

As a charitable gesture, Martin Yatming will be auctioning a few pieces from the collection of Ebay. Keep your eyes peeled for more news on this one!

The story behind this amazing collaboration goes back to the 2006 Tokyo Design Week, when the famous HK Artist, Mr Eric Kot, introduced Martin Yatming to Mr Kubota of New Balance, Japan. The guys got talking and their mutual love of fashion and design quickly gave rise to the New Balance x Yoropiko Hungry Dragon 574 Project. The guys are strongly motivated by the concept of supporting charity through their work which established an even greater bond and desire to create the collaboration. Incredibly the teams enthusiasm led to the collection being created in 14 weeks, which is nothing short of amazing when you consider that to apply the embroidery to the jeans alone takes 16 hours!! This collection truly is Fashion-History-In-The-Making!

Jimmy Choo has been sold to TowerBrook Capital Partners LP, an international private equity firm. Tamara Mellon, president of Jimmy Choo, will continue to have direct oversight of the accessories firm’s creative direction, image and promotional activities. She will continue to work with Sandra Choi, creative director of the company, and will remain a significant shareholder of Jimmy Choo.

“This new partnership will not only give us the ability to meet the growing demand for our range of products, but also achieve my original vision for Jimmy Choo to be one of the world’s most treasured luxury brands,” said Tamara Mellon.

Jimmy Choo, maker of glamorous accessories favoured by International stars and elegant women worldwide, was launched in 1996. As accessories editor at Vogue UK, the then Tamara Yeardye Mellon sensed a real demand for stylish but wearable shoes and approached Mr Jimmy Choo, a couture shoe-maker based in the East End of London, recognised for his excellent craftsmanship.

Jimmy Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia in 1961 into a family of shoe makers. He made his first shoe when he was only 11 years old. He attended Cordwainers’s Technical College in London and the London College of Fashion. Jimmy Choo has now has a completely independent label called Jimmy Choo Couture.

Alasachini Apparel started in 1997 by a young designer name Mr. Nana Addae that handles precise detailing in their denim embroidery and unbelievable vintage fit bespoke denim very cutting edge. Alasachini’s main specialties is their imported Japanese selvedge raw denim, knowing what type of denim that meets their client’s needs, is what they do best. Each jean is hand-finished into the most authentic aged Japanese denim with vintage washes, are all available. Every rivet placed, every button added shows immaculate attention to detail including our embroidery stitch with African stitch style influences and art work on our pockets. Each denim made is under the eye of Simon Yeung a young gentlemen that has been in the denim manufacturing business for more then 15 years from Hong Kong  that houses its own sewing, laundry and sandblasting facilities. Alasachini Apparel is rebirth from an old chapter to a new beginning. Spring 2007..