Six reasons to love your long hair

Anyone with long hair knows that there are days when you just get tired of it. Sometimes it’s because you’re experiencing long hair boredom (those times when a change, any change, seems desirable over keeping your length) and other times it’s because it’s gotten in the way yet again (and let’s face it, the opportunities for long hair to get caught in things are virtually endless). But the fact is that if you do succumb to the scissors and get it all cut off, you’ll be missing out on what it is that made you want to become a longhair in the first place. The reasons for growing, and keeping, your long hair are going to be different for everyone, but here are my top six – no doubt one or two of them will strike a chord with you, and will hopefully encourage you to keep on growing. Fashions, and consequently hairstyle trends, will come and go; they are transitory by their very nature. And sure, there will be times when long hair is less in vogue than it was a couple of years ago, but you can rest assured that it will always come back into fashion eventually, for the simple reason that long hair is timeless. Pick just about any period film, and you can guarantee that several actresses and extras will possess gorgeous long manes (my favourites are Braveheart and Little Women, set in the 13th and 19th centuries, respectively).

So even though the fashion industry’s preference for long-haired models on the catwalks and in magazines may fade every now and then, they will always make a comeback in time, because ultimately long hair is a style that transcends fashion altogether. To read more about the timelessness of long hair, . 
Long hair is an investment.

This reason could be considered controversial, in that there are many of us who wouldn’t dream of selling their hair… but for me it’s nice to know that such an option is available, should I ever find myself in dire financial circumstances. Long hair, particularly that which is considered to be ‘virgin hair’ (i.e. hair that has never been highlighted or coloured) can command quite a decent amount of money, should the owner decide to sell it. Human hair is highly sought-after by wig makers, for the obvious reason that it is so much more natural-looking than its synthetic alternative.

While the price of human hair will vary depending on the length, colour, and quality of the hair, as well as the economy as a whole, you can expect to receive a reasonable payment in exchange for the long locks you’ve grown tired of. There are a number of different ways to go about selling your hair, whether directly to the wig manufacturers or by alternative means, so make sure you do your research before you go for the big chop.

Obviously such a decision is entirely up to you, but if you’ve had long hair for more than ten years or so and absolutely must try a different look, then it’s comforting to know that it needn’t end up being swept into a dustbin on the hairdresser’s floor.

Long hair is becoming increasingly unique.

Let’s face it: there aren’t many people in this world who have the patience that growing long hair requires. Right now, we’re living in an age of consumption, where having the latest gadget or garment is (for some) an absolute must, and where everything else is tossed aside. It’s a time of ever-increasing change, and naturally, the kinds of women who have their wardrobes set on a constantly-updating rotation will also be more likely to change their hairstyle frequently as well…. and they can only colour it, add a fringe (bangs), straighten it or curl it so often before they are compelled to go for the chop.

As a result, short hairstyles are becoming more and more the norm, and longer hairstyles increasingly unique. Back in the 1970s (I'm told) it was commonplace to see women with hair brushing their waists; now it’s a genuine rarity and as such, has become a standout; something truly eye-catching in the crowds of medium-length and short hairstyles.

It also says something about the wearer: that while she may choose to pick up on certain trends, she is not one to be pulled along by the undertow of fashion and turned into something less than herself. Rather than wearing the same old haircut as everyone else, she’s chosen to keep this part of herself unique, and to an interested bystander, such a decision speaks volumes about her personal strength and commitment to her own sense of individuality.
Now wait just a minute: surely if there’s more of something, shouldn’t it become more difficult and time-consuming to take care of? While this may be true of many things (including, but not limited to, children, pets, work and study), when it comes to hair I’ve found the opposite to be true: that in general, the longer my hair is, the easier it is to look after. I’ve had short hair before – a pixie cut, and later, a chin-length bob – and I can tell you from experience that it took a lot more time and effort to keep those styles looking good, than it does to keep my current length of hair (mid-back) looking amazing.

Why is this? Because long hair is a wash-and-wear style, whereas short hair requires daily styling in the form of blow-drying and hair sculpting products. Sleep through your alarm with long hair and all you have to do is put it up (when time-poor I usually go for a quick and simple romantic updo); sleep through your alarm with short hair and you’ll just have to accept the fact that you’re going to be late – unless, of course, you don’t mind stepping out in public with it sticking up in all directions, but if this is the case then you may as well shave it all off and call it a day!

Now, there is a point of diminishing returns (for lack of a better description), when your hair reaches a length that requires a lot of maintenance - but we’re talking thigh-length or knee-length here, and many women with hair this long really don’t mind the extra work to maintain their unique beauty. If you don’t believe me, check out the Long Hair Community website here (there’s also a plethora of articles and styling ideas on this site; it’s a true gem for those of us who love our long hair).
Your man will love your long hair too.

First, a disclaimer: Every man will have different tastes in women, and there are no doubt millions in the world who find short hair on women to be more attractive than long. But psychological and evolutionary theory-based research has shown that by far the greatest proportion of men in our society prefer women to have long hair. There are countless reasons for this phenomenon (you can read some of them here) but they include the ideas of long hair demonstrating genetic strength and good health, of long hair connoting classic femininity, and the simple fact that long hair flatters more women’s face shapes than short hair does.

As for me, personally, my boyfriend loves running his fingers through my hair, brushing it, and just playing with it when we’re hanging out together. It’s just another way a man can show affection for his partner, and it feels pretty amazing for the woman as well. Obviously you don’t want to decide upon a hairstyle simply because your man (or the man you have your eye on!) will prefer it over another, but it is nice knowing that you’re probably not the only one who loves the way your hair looks when it’s long.

Long hair is cheaper to maintain.

Now this reason is something of a subset of long hair being easier to maintain, but it’s a relevant one nonetheless: overall, long hair is much, much cheaper to maintain than short hair will ever be. This is mostly because of fewer visits to the hairdresser - short hair needs reshaping every six to eight weeks, whereas long hair can be left to grow for six months or more without needing a trim.

In addition, because long hair requires fewer styling products than short hair does, you’ll find that your monthly hair care expenses will be minimized too. To stay in shape, short hair will usually require a daily (or more!) application of a sculpting cream, wax, or gel, whereas these products will only weigh long hair down and make it look lank and greasy. Aside from shampoo and conditioner, the only product your long hair will need is a shine serum or leave-in conditioner. And if you really want to get finicky about your hair care expenses, you can consider the fact that less heat styling means less electricity used, and therefore a reduction in your household bills.

While there are a multitude of other reasons to love your long hair, these are the ones that really speak to me when I’m experiencing a moment of long hair boredom – they’re the ones that remind me why I wanted to become a longhair in the first place. Long hair is not for everyone (it wouldn’t be anywhere near as special if it was!) but for those who choose it, it can be one of those elements in their lives that make their existence that much better.

So if you’re sick of your long hair and are contemplating a cut, make sure you remind yourself of the reasons you love your long hair, before it’s too late. Whether it’s mid-back, waist length, classic length or longer, hair that falls below your shoulder blades is a thing of true beauty, and not something to be removed on a whim.

If you need inspiration of the visual variety in order to keep your long-haired dreams alive, check out my extra long hairstyles gallery here. Happy growing!

The elusive 'miracle product'

Quite often I get emails asking me to recommend the ideal product for such-and-such hair type, with such-and-such being the desired result. Whether it's extra shine, manageability, gorgeous soft curls, or the repair of major damage that people are looking for, invariably there will be a product on the market that will suit their requirements perfectly.... the problem is in finding it, because every person's hair-related needs will be different. Despite what advertisers will tell you, there is no such thing as a 'miracle product' for everyone - only products that work better for some people than they do for others. This is why knowing your hair type, and then choosing the right products for that hair type, is so important - I really can't stress this enough! If your hair is prone to oiliness, then using a shampoo for dry or damaged hair won't do it any favours at all. In the same way, a shine serum designed for thick hair will turn fine hair into a lank, greasy mess.

Identifying your hair's texture, thickness, and overall condition is just the beginning when it comes to selecting products - lifestyle factors such as the climate you live in, whether you're exposed to air pollution, how much exercise you do, and how often you apply heat to your hair will also play a large part in determining which hair products are right for you. Once you've figured out your hair type and general hair needs, the only real-world way to find your own 'miracle product' is through trial and error. When I was a teenager I had a huge 'product graveyard' assembled in my bathroom cabinet - products that I'd bought and tried, but which didn't have the results I was looking for. I'd eventually throw them away, or they'd be used by other family members who couldn't have cared less what their hair looked like after using these products (namely, my father and brother).

Eventually I did find my ideal deep conditioner, and leave-in conditioner, and discovered that my hair really came alive when I used sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners. But of course, sulfate-free products aren't for everyone, in the same way that products containing silicone will make some hair types shine with good health, and make others become dull and unmanageable.  
Sometimes, when you've found a product that does wonders for your hair, the company will decide that it's just not selling well enough and will discontinue it - leaving you to begin your search all over again! This happened to me with a leave-in conditioner called Pears Tangle Free, which was pulled from the shelves in the late 1990s. The product was just divine: it literally removed the worst of tangles from my hair with just a couple of sprays, it smelled amazing, and bizarrely enough it cost just a few dollars to buy the pretty pale pink bottle from the supermarket. Had I known that they were planning to get rid of it, then I would have created a personal stockpile! It really was that good, but obviously, I was among a tiny minority of people whose hair it worked wonders for.

Thankfully the search for your own personal 'miracle product' is an enjoyable one - sure, there are disappointing times when the product you buy is not all it's cracked up to be, but there's always the possibility that the next one will be the one you've been looking for. Identifying your hair's unique styling requirements is the first step, and once you've done that then you can simply experiment until you've found the product that is ideal for you.

The pros and cons of hair extensions

So you want long hair, and you want it now. Or maybe your hair is thinning out and you need to add some extra volume. Or perhaps you want some unique, contrasting strands added in, but you don't want to damage your own hair by dyeing it. Whatever the reason for choosing them, hair extensions can give your look a major overhaul and are becoming increasingly popular among celebrities and everyday women alike. But as with any hair styling choice, when it comes to using hair extensions it's important that you know exactly what you're dealing with before you hand over your credit card and commit to a day in the salon. Here's a list (which is by no means exhaustive) of the pros and cons of using hair extensions. 
 Pro #1: Long, thick hair in less than a day.
Now the first pro is pretty obvious, and boils down to the fact that hair extensions can give you instantly what would otherwise take years to achieve. Growing long hair takes patience and commitment - believe me, I know! And for some of us, waiting four or more years for a glorious waist-length mane just isn't an option. With hair extensions, you can go from having a pixie cut to super-long tresses in just a few hours' time, while your natural-haired counterparts have little choice but to wait it out.
Con #1: The price.
Again, the most obvious: it's expensive. It depends on how long, how natural-looking and how thick you want your extensions to be, but you can generally expect to pay at least $500 - and that's just the beginning. Superstar Miley Cyrus reportedly paid $24,000 for her latest set of extensions, and New Yorker Brandi Irwin pays more than $46,000 for hers. Irwin says she "can't put a price" on how the extensions make her feel, but when you consider that they need to be replaced every few months, then there's no denying that the costs can become extravagant.
Pro #2: Extensions can provide what won't happen naturally.
Everyone's hair has a "terminal length" at which point it won't grow any further. It's genetically determined and as such, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. So for those women who can't grow their own hair past their shoulder blades, hair extensions can provide for them what nature could not.

Con #2: Extensions frequently look unnatural.
Given that they are, in fact, unnatural, it only makes sense that a lot of the time extensions look less than the real deal. Synthetic hair extensions are particularly prone to looking unnatural, but even the more expensive human hair extensions can look fake as well, especially if they're not applied correctly. Seeing weaves at the scalp, evidence of bonding glue, or clip-ins will further compound the potentially unnatural look of hair extensions.
Pro #3: Hair extensions are becoming a status symbol.
Because good extensions typically come with a hefty price tag, they're used far more often by actresses, models, singers and socialites than they are by your average girl next door. As such they tend to have an image of prestige, but beware: this image is dependent solely on the quality of the extensions themselves. Cheap and nasty extensions will make you look cheap and nasty too, so if you're going to try hair extensions then you're better off going the whole nine yards. Human hair applied in a reputable salon will definitely be more expensive, but most of us would agree that it's a far better option than looking like you couldn't afford any better.

Con #3: They can cause problems for your hair in the future.
Too-tight braiding, scalp-damaging glues, and strand-weakening hair bonds have all been associated with the use of less-than-ideal hair extensions. This can result in physical pain, chemical burns to the scalp, natural hair damage, hair loss, and even some forms of alopecia. This is why it is absolutely imperative for you to choose a reputable salon with experienced and qualified hairdressers to apply your hair extensions. There's just no point in having fabulous hair for a few months if the price is ruined hair for the rest of your days.

It's also worth considering how ethical the providers of your hair extensions are, as a black market trade does exist of animal hair and synthetic hair that is being passed off as "real". Some companies, such as Australia's Great Lengths, make a point of being socially conscious as well: the extensions from Great Lengths are sourced entirely from temples in India, and the company re-invests the proceeds from each transaction into the local community's schools, hospitals and orphanages.

As with anything hair-related, your choices are entirely your own, but the more you can learn about hair extensions in advance, the better off you'll be when it comes time to make a decision. Extensions are not for everyone, but if the pros outweigh the cons for you then I wish you the best of luck! And if you've ever had hair extensions in the past and have a story to tell, then feel free to leave a comment below.

Getting over a bad haircut

There are few things in this world more painful than a bad haircut. Not because it's devastating on a grand scale (anyone who has lost a loved one can attest to that!) but because it's something that many people deem as being of little to no importance. "It's just hair!" they'll scoff, completely oblivious to your feelings. "It's not worth getting upset about." And when you DO get upset - which, by the way, is only natural - you feel that much worse for being upset over something that, apparently, isn't supposed to matter. Now, you not only have ugly hair, but you're being made to feel guilty about it as well.  The first thing you need to realize is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being upset about a bad haircut. You made a small error in judgment, and it's one that you'll have to live with for a little while to come. Keep in mind, however, that it won't be like this for the rest of time, because of one simple, beautiful fact: hair grows! Sure, it may not grow as fast as you want it to, but in a year or two it will look nothing like what it does right now, and there are plenty of things you can do to speed up the process as well.

In the meantime, here are my five steps for getting over a bad haircut as quickly - and painlessly - as possible.

1) Cry.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there is NOTHING WRONG with crying over a bad haircut. I've cried bucket loads over my various bad haircuts in the past. Going from a style you're comfortable with (perhaps a little too comfortable with) to one that doesn't suit you at all is a traumatic event. You feel ugly, but worse than that, you feel stupid because you were the one responsible for the decision. Don't compound those negative feelings by feeling guilty over your self-perceived "shallowness" as well.

Instead, once you've given yourself time to accept what has happened, you must shift your focus to the future. Your hair will look great again, I can promise you that! And when it does, you'll appreciate it all the more for having experienced a bad cut, and you'll know which types of hairstyles must be avoided for the rest of your days.

Instead, cry as much as you can. I've always found that crying with someone - say, my mother, or my closest friend - works best for me, but crying alone will get the job done as well. Once you've let it all out (and it may take a few days of crying, on and off) you'll feel a hundred times better than you did before. Crying is the body's way of getting rid of the toxins that build up in your body during times of stress. Don't ever be ashamed to cry, as you won't be doing your body any favours by putting on a brave face.

2) Write it down.

If you keep a journal, then it's more than likely that you've already done this. But if you don't, then make sure you write down all of your thoughts and feelings that the bad haircut invoked. Make a concrete decision to never do this to yourself again, no matter how tempting the future situation may be. Keep the word document/journal entry/notebook somewhere that you can access again easily, just as a handy reminder not to go down that path again.

For me, I've made a firm vow to a) never have my hair cut above my shoulders again, and b) to never have a fringe (bangs) cut in ever again. Both of these looks simply do not suit my face or my lifestyle. Remember that you are the one who is going to have to wear that hair, and that just because Emma Watson's pixie cut looks sensational on her, doesn't mean that it's going to have the same effect for you. It's tough to have to learn these things the hard way, but it is a lesson that will stick with you for life - especially if you've taken the time to write it all down.

3) Read about other people's experiences.

If you've been on the receiving end of a bad haircut yourself, then reading about other people's experiences will undoubtedly make you feel better. In this instance, it's not so much a matter of schadenfreude than it is a matter of knowing that you're not alone. Just about everyone has suffered the embarrassment of a bad haircut at some point in their lives, and many of them will probably have some great advice on how they got through it as well.

So do a Google search for "bad haircut stories" and spend an hour or so reading about other people's hair-related misfortunes. Like with the crying, it's guaranteed to make you feel a whole lot better!

4) Make the most of what you've got.

When it comes to growing out a bad haircut, you'll quickly find that hats, scarves and bobby pins are your best friends. You'll also discover certain hair products and methods of styling that don't necessarily make your hair look great, but do make it look one helluva lot better than it did before. Experiment with different products and you may find a way to make your bad haircut look halfway decent.

Also keep in mind that you're never going to have your hair looking like this again, so you might as well make the most of it now. Being able to enjoy your hair at every length - well, as much as you can, anyway! - is part of what makes playing with different styles so much fun. Taking lots of photos during this time will not only serve as a reminder to never get your hair cut like that again, but will also make you see how far your hair has come when you look back on the photos in a year or two.

5) Learn how to make your hair grow faster.

Although the rate of each person's hair growth is genetically determined, with most of us having a growth rate of about half an inch a month, there are several ways in which you can get your hair to grow as fast as it possibly can.

The most obvious ways to accelerate hair growth are through (yep, you guessed it) diet and exercise. Certain foods - such as eggs, red meat, leafy green vegetables, and sushi - are known for speeding up hair growth, and increased exercise is beneficial also, as getting your blood pumping will increase the circulation of oxygen to your hair's follicles.

There are also a variety of hair vitamins you can try, ranging from your basic multivitamin to the extravagantly priced - but rather effective - Hair Formula 37. Biotin, zinc, folic acid, MSM, and iron supplements have also been known to make hair grow faster.

Finally, you may find that a follicle-stimulating scalp massage will noticeably increase your hair's growth rate as well. I massage my scalp at least once a week using a mixture of jojoba (a carrier oil) and rosemary. Simply running your fingers through your hair and massaging them in circular movements has the effect of increasing the blood flow to your scalp in a similar way to cardiovascular exercise. It's also very relaxing and will feel great, regardless of whether you use oils or not.

When it comes to getting over a bad haircut, the two most important things to remember are that you must allow yourself time to grieve... and that your hair won't be looking like that forever. Everyone makes mistakes, and some lessons must be learned the hard way. There's no need to keep beating yourself up over one bad decision! Doing this will only make the situation even more of a nightmare than it already is.

Runway Fashion and Models Trends

Colors are brighter, reflecting the true concept of spring and dresses are more prevalent this season, with a real mix of sophistication, a hint of '80s retro and long-floaty maxis reminiscent of the '60s and '70s. New York Fashion Week, 5-12 September 2007, revealed some exciting and inspirational designs for Spring 2008.

Leading fashion magazine Elle features "10 trends from New York Fashion Week" in its online edition. Designers such as Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenberg, Michael Kors, Vera Wang and Oscar de La Renta showcase their creations, in the Elle image gallery.

Whilst most westerners are unwrapping their Christmas presents at this time of year, the fashion world is two steps ahead. For fashion-conscious women, once the Christmas decorations are packed away, it will be time to think about next season's high-street trends influenced by designer fashion.
Styles and Fabrics

* Think floaty and feminine, with ruffles, lace, pleats draping cuts and transparent fabrics. According to the Daily Mail's article, of 28th December 2007, "Vogue's 2008 Hotlist Revealed", "The ruff is the fashion detail of the season".
* Light airy dresses, be they maxi or mini – the maxi dress continues its comeback given its versatility and popularity from last year.
* The maxi dress makes a real statement this season in classy and casual styles. Flowing, drapes with pleats and ruffles and one-shoulder necklines.
* Light, airy long-dresses and long, flowing skirts, comfortable and easy to wear.
* References to ancient Greece in sophisticated drapes and pleats such as Donna Karan’s Shades of Gres, an elegant silver-gray, halter-neck maxi with intricate pleats, folds and draping.
* Desert-inspired maxis and safari trouser or shorts-suits in two of Pantone’s top ten spring colors, Golden Olive and Croissant..
* Colour-blocked dresses continue to be a popular trend with two or three colors.
* Asymmetry is a keynote style seen in many of next season’s dresses and soon to be released summer swimwear.
* Two-sleeved styles are given the cold-shoulder by many designers. Zac Posen, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Proenza Schouler and J Mendel in favor of an off-the-shoulder look.
* Trouser suits follow the feminine, floaty theme with Asian fisherman style pants (Phillip Lim) and elegant flowing trousers. Some are influenced by the African safari, like Diane Von Furstenberg’s classic white ensemble.
* Transparency features heavily in many designer fabrics. Rodart’s delicate blue hues and Cloud Cover ruffle creation is floaty and feminine. J Mendels flowing silver grey one-shoulder drape enthuses elegance.
* Belts are everywhere, drawing attention to the waist.
* Accessorize with headscarves and hippie chick headbands. Safaris style white hats match the desert inspired look and large totes and oversized bags make a big fashion statement.

5 Tips for Growing Healthy, Beautiful Hair for Women

Hair makes us beautiful.

There are few conditions that evoke anxiety in my patients (men and women) more than hair loss. Hair is an important part of our appearance. We are biologically programmed to view it as a marker for a person’s suitability as a mate; this is probably because it’s an obvious indicator of a person’s youth and health.

Good hair suggests you are well nourished and healthy. As we age hair thins naturally, so a full head of hair also indicates the owner is young (and likely fertile).

It is no wonder that billions of dollars are spent every year to darken it, lighten it, grow more of it, and style it.

Like other physical characteristics such as body shape and skin complexion, the hair you have is the hair you are genetically programmed to grow. For some it is dense and thick. For others it is thin and sparse.

Patients often ask me what they can do to grow thick, luxurious hair. Here are five tips to have hair that says: “Yes, I’m dreamy.”

    Eat well. Your hair reflects your overall health. If you eat healthfully, your hair will be healthy. Consume a diet based on whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, nuts, and low-fat dairy.
    Take your biotin. There are countless vitamins touted to make your hair grow faster, stronger, and longer, including prenatal vitamins. Don’t believe it. If you eat a good diet (as above), then you don’t need vitamins. The only one I recommend supplementing is biotin at 1,500 mcg each day. Otherwise, leave the prenatal vitamins for pregnant women.
    Moisturize. Shampoos are often potent soaps and can strip your hair’s natural oils, leaving it dry, dull, and brittle. Use the shampoo at the scalp only, not at the ends which can be months to years old and have endured countless washes. Use a conditioner everyday (or at least 3-4 times a week if your hairstyle can’t tolerate daily conditioning) to help lock in moisture. This will help your hair be thicker, shinier, and healthier.
    Try carnitine. A recent study showed that at least in the laboratory, L-carnitine (found in red meat) stimulated hair growth. Maybe that’s where the expression, “Eat this. It’ll put hair on your chest” comes from….
    Cut it. Because your hair can be years old, it reflects all your body has been through in that time. For instance, if you were sick a few months ago, then the hair that grew during that period can be thin and brittle and will remain that way until it is sheared. If your hair is damaged or frayed, then there is little you can do to repair it. Sometimes the best thing to do is to cut off all the damaged areas and focus on taking better care of the hair that is still healthy.

Models of Fashions

Photo recognition startup has dramatically changed course, and is setting up shop today at Like.com as a visual search engine for jewelry, handbags, watches, and shoes. The land of women’s fashion is a bit of a leap for most any Silicon Valley company, but Riya does have the big advantage of jumping into a demographic that is not polluted by redundant tech startups pitching their wares.

Sure, there are lots of shopping search engines (some of whom we’ve written about lately), and an increasing number of them, such as ShopWiki and Become.com, do color search. What Riya is doing is using its photo recognition technology to help shoppers find products that are similar in ways that are harder to input or describe, such as the strappiness or heel of a sandal, or the pattern of a fabric.

For now, the way this works is users can page through pictures of celebrities (kept up to date through a deal with Getty Images), then zero in on a particular bracelet or handbag they like and find similar products for sale (from about 200 online merchants who have signed up for affiliate programs). Users can also input text descriptors like “flower pendant” or choose from categories to get a search going.

The cool parts of the implementation reveal themselves once you’ve started a search. You can refocus any query by selecting an item and dragging the cursor over the part of an image you really like. After you tell the search engine to focus in on either the color or shape of the swatch, it redoes the search to your liking. There are all the best-of-breed features from other vertical search engines — sliders, dynamic checkboxes for narrowing to certain brands and stores that come up in a search, and “breadcrumbs” done visually display using thumbnails to show your search path.

So how well does it work? Riya CEO Munjal Shah showed me a bunch of searches that worked really well, like strappy red high heels and a busily patterned bag, but when we got off-script with a shiny necklace, the results were much more unimpressive. Since the site went live tonight, I’ve had more trouble than I would expect finding a search that returns high enough quality of results to get a screenshot. I do think this is a cool idea but it’s not dazzlingly good yet. We also asked about matching accessories across outfits and inputting our own pictures as search queries — Shah assures us that these features, as well as social tools and expanded categories, are coming soon.

Shah admits that part of the allure of the new product is “the threshold of success is lower.” The claim is, shoppers don’t mind a slightly different handbag than the one Scarlett Johansson was carrying at that movie premiere last night; they find it interesting. With facial recognition, there’s no room for error. (Riya has left its facial recognition search engine at Riya.com, though it has been neglected in favor of the new product for the last eight months.) For those who want to dig a bit deeper, Shah, who is not a bad storyteller, has been chronicling his strategy shift in a series of posts on his own blog.

Glamour and SuperModels

Glamour photography emphasizes the model rather than products, fashion or environment. Typically the sexuality of the model is emphasized in glamour photography, while in fashion photography the emphasis is on the clothes.

Early glamour modeling is often associated with "French postcards", small postcard sized images that were sold by street vendors in France. In the early 1900s the pinup became popular. Pinups depicted scantily dressed women often in a playful pose seemingly surprised or startled by the viewer. The model would usually have an expression of delight which seemed to invite the viewer to come and play. Betty Grable was one of the most famous pinup models of all time; her pinup in a bathing suit was extremely popular amongst World War II soldiers. In December of 1953 Marilyn Monroe was featured in the first issue of Playboy magazine. Playboy became the first magazine featuring nude glamour photography targeted to the mainstream consumer. Glamour models popular in the early 90s included Hope Talmons and Dita Von Teese and the modern era is represented by models like Heidi Van Horne and Bernie Dexter.

Supermodels are highly paid, top fashion models. These (usually female) celebrities, also known as cover girls, appear on top fashion magazine covers, in catalogues and in fashion shows. The first model to pave the way for what would become the supermodel was Lisa Fonssagrives.[6] The relationship between her image on over 200 Vogue covers and her name recognition led to the importance of Vogue in shaping future supermodels. Her image appeared on the cover of every fashion magazine during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s from Town & Country, Life and Vogue to the original Vanity Fair. Model Janice Dickinson has asserted that she was the person for whom the term was coined, as she popped the term herself while talking to her agent at the climax of her career by saying, "I'm not superman, I'm a supermodel"

Fury as 12-year-old 'models' fronts world fashion show

A 12-year-old has caused a media frenzy after she was chosen to front one of the world's largest fashion shows.
Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Maddison Gabriel was picked as the official ambassador of Gold Coast Fashion Week in Australia and has also worn a number of revealing outfits for the Queensland event.
The country's Prime Minister John Howard strongly criticised the decision saying it was unacceptable.
He said: "Catapulting girls as young as 12 into something like that is outrageous."
Mr Howard wants Australia to follow the example of Europe and ban models younger than 16 appearing on catwalks.
"There should be age limits, I mean there has to be, we do have to preserve some notion of innocence in our society," he said.
But the 5ft 7ins youngster, who turned 13 yesterday, believed she deserved to win the modelling competition to become the 'face' of the show.
"I believe that I can fit into women's clothes. I can model women's clothes, so I should be able to do it," she said.
"It doesn't matter about age, it matters that you can do the job. Modelling is all I've wanted to do since I was six - I don't think I'm too young."
Maddison has signed an exclusive media deal and contracted an experienced celebrity agent since the furore broke.
Her mother Michelle Gabriel has defended her child's right to model and demanded an apology from the Prime Minister.
"I believe the Prime Minister is getting very doddery," she said.
"He does not know exactly what 13 and 14-year-old girls are like. I used to vote for him. We're trying to get our teenage daughters to act older. I am so happy that I've got a daughter who has got a good head on her shoulders."
And Fashion Week spokesman Kelly Wieler said Maddison was not too young.
"Maddy got in because she was the best contestant - the judges saw that she was fit to do the job."
She added that the schoolgirl would not be modelling swimwear or lingerie.

The Chinese Girls and Woman Models

Our Chinese pop site provides a comprehensive guide to the top and most popular Cpop Hong Kong (HK) Chinese girls and women pop stars and models in the world, there is a Chinese girls and Chinese Women gallery and profile section whereby you can find the variety of stars on the web. The Chinese girls stars include people such as Kelly Chen, and the Chinese Women model section include those such as Twins, Cecelia, Jolin Tsai, Jaymee Ong and Faye Wong.
In recent years the beaty and sexiness of chinese girls and models have begun to spread across the pacific and now it is common to find some of our favourate chinese woman actors and models to be cast in movies, sitcoms and magazines.
WE at cpopmusic have a wide variety of Chinese girls and model stars ranging from the most well know stars to the less descrete ones. Join our website and have access to all the girls and woman models.
Chinese girls and Woman models have taken asian by storm, their beauty and looks have spread accross the continents and now they are more well known than ever before. They span accross many countries and are liked for both their vocal talents as well as their beauty. Report from the Miss China Universe.
A couple days after appearing in Los Angles to compete in the 55th annual Miss Universe pageant that aired live on NBC and Telemundo, Miss China, Ying-Hui Gao, met briefly with Aviation General Manager Ben DeCosta and other Airport officials.

Gao¡¯s visit to the Airport on Tuesday, July 25 was hosted by CIFAL Atlanta (www.cifalatlanta.org), a North American affiliate of the United Nations Institute for Research and Training (UNITAR). She is working with Atlanta organizations to build support for direct passenger flights between Atlanta and the Peoples Republic of China. Direct air service connecting the Olympic cities will develop stronger ties between Atlanta and China.

The tall, graceful 23-year-old is a full-time journalist for Heilongjiang News and a part-time student at Heilongjiang University. She is recognized by high-ranking Chinese officials as a formal dignitary for her nation. Miss China¡¯s visit came just a few weeks after a group of Chinese airport officials visited Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. ¡°I love the warm hospitality of the people in Atlanta,¡± Gao said during a Chinatown dinner held in her honor. ¡°I was impressed with the warm greeting I received at the [Atlanta] Airport.¡±

Gao¡¯s interests include reading, playing basketball, and listening to music. ¡°I enjoy playing basketball the most,¡± she said. Though Gao said the Miss Universe pageant was a big challenge, she had a lot of fun with her roommate, Miss Singapore, Carol Cheong, who was also competing for the crown.
Canadian Linda Chung, from Vancouver poses during the Miss Chinese International pageant in Hong Kong?January 17, 2004.

Miss Chinese International winner Linda Chung (C) from Vancouver is congratulated by first runner-up Mandy Cho (L) from Hong Kong and 2nd runner-up Carlene Ang Aguilar from Manila at the Miss Chinese International pageant in Hong Kong January 17, 2004. Twenty Chinese contestants from around the world participated in the beauty contest.
Winner Linda Chung (C),?1st runner-up Mandy Cho (L), 2nd runner-up Carlene Ang Aguilar pose during the Miss Chinese International pageant.
Miss Chinese International winner Linda Chung (C) from Vancouver is congratulated by other contestants at the Miss Chinese International pageant in Hong Kong January 17, 2004. First runner-up Mandy Cho (L) from Hong Kong and 2nd runner-up Carlene Ang Aguilar from Manila, wipe the tears from Linda Chung from Vancouver, Canada after she was crowned Miss Chinese International in Hong Kong, late January 17, 2004.

Gillian Chung apologizes to fans Cantopop duo Twins member Gillian Chung, in her first public response to the recent publication of nude pictures purportedly of pop and movie stars, yesterday admitted she had been "naive and silly" in the past.

"I admit [after a long pause] I was very naive and very silly in the past, but I have grown up now," Chung, 27, told a packed and frenzied crowd of international and local reporters, photographers and cameramen - without explicitly saying she was in the photos.

"This incident has caused great frustration and harm to me and people around me," she stated in her one- minute, 20-second speech.

"I thank my company, family and friends for their kindness and support. I deeply regret the impact the incident has caused to society and the public. "In the future, I will continue my work and face my life positively. I thank the media for their concern and the fans for not giving up on me."

Chung, accompanied by long-time Twins partner Charlene Choi Cheuk- yin, was given a rousing cheer by hundreds of fans shouting "we support you."

Chung, who was dressed in a beige coat with her shoulder-length hair neatly parted down the center, was accompanied by about 10 other pop singers, including Vincy Chan and Yumiko Cheng, at the entertainment company Emperor Entertainment Group's annual Lunar New Year greeting session with fans and which was previously not open to the public.

The pop duo's manager Mani Fok Man-hei said none of EEG's artistes, including Chung, will ever make any comment regarding the incident following yesterday's briefing "to avoid the issue continuing to expand."

"This incident has already caused enormous harm and frustration to those affected," Fok said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for EEG said no further questions from the media would be answered, including whether the photos were genuine or fake.

The 300 fans, most in their teens, who held banners and signs in support of Chung, left the Chiu Chow Dynasty restaurant in Wan Chai after Chung had left, but few were prepared to comment on what happened at the gathering.

"Support, support, support" was uttered by one while another shouted "Kung Hei Fat Choy" or Happy Lunar New Year.

Mr Ho, a passer-by, and his 10-year- old son outside the building, which was flanked by at least 100 journalists, said the media should bear part of the responsibility for the incident.

"Some of the newspapers have exaggerated the issue," he said, referring to many front page reports in local Chinese newspapers over the past couple of weeks.

Before the gathering started, one of several dozen fans waiting to enter the restaurant fainted but was quickly helped by others.

Over the past two weeks, more than 400 nude photos - or about 30 percent of the 1,300 police say they have uncovered - have emerged on internet forums.

Who finds sexy fashion models?

This page examines the sexiness of some top-ranked “sexy” fashion models. For reasons explained shortly, the masculinity-femininity of physical appearance will be the main focus here. Readers not familiar with the subtlety of masculinity-femininity should go through the feminine vs. masculine page before proceeding.
As of October, 2005, Models.com had rank-ordered the top-25 sexy female models, based on prominence and impact factor, as follows: 1) Heidi Klum, 2) Gisele Bundchen, 3) Adriana Lima, 4) Tyra Banks, 5) Karolina Kurkova, 6) Alessandra Ambrosio, 7) Isabeli Fontana, 8) Yamila Diaz-Rahi, 9) Ana Beatriz Barros, 10) Natalia Vodianova, 11) Carolyn Murphy, 12) Naomi Campbell, 13) Noemie Lenoir, 14) Marisa Miller, 15) Fernanda Tavares, 16) Daria Werbowy, 17) Veronica Varekova, 18) Kate Moss, 19) Fernanda Motta, 20) Josie Moran, 21) Angela Lindvall, 22) Bridget Hall, 23) Brenda Costa, 24) Mallory of “MTV Real world” fame and 25) Carla Campbell.
The italicized names are those of women of non-European ancestry and/or women with substantial non-European admixture; these women are excluded from the discussion for three major reasons: 1) there is an overlap between trait variation related to ethnicity and trait variation related to masculinization-feminization, and an ethnicity confound will unnecessarily complicate analysis; 2) facial features across different populations can be markedly different, which prevents the application of exacting standards in comparing attractiveness/sex appeal and 3) the non-European ancestry of the women with italicized names is heterogeneous. Mallory of “MTV Real world” fame is clearly the odd entry since her inclusion is obviously a result of her fame, which is not due to her looks, whereas the other models are famous for their looks. Therefore, Mallory is not addressed on this page, but her looks are addressed elsewhere; see the addendum below.

A brief history of the fashion show

Fashion scholars have penned histories of the high heel, the corset, and the little black dress, but no one has yet written a definitive history of the fashion show. The omission is curious: The fashion show is not only the promotional linchpin of a multibillion-dollar industry, it was also central to the development of the American department store—and thus to the rise of American consumer culture. The problem may be that the fashion show, like any performative enterprise, is by nature ephemeral. Or perhaps it's that the fashion crowd, always in pursuit of the next thing, lacks the archival impulse: Why hash over yesterday's clothes? Whatever the reason, as Valerie Steele, chief curator and director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, told me: "The topic of fashion shows remains to find its historian."
It is, however, possible to stitch together the tale of New York's semiannual Fashion Week, which commenced once again last Friday in the tents at Manhattan's Bryant Park. Fashion Week in its earliest incarnation was, in some sense, a bid to overthrow the sartorial tyranny of the French. According to Steele, the event got its start in 1943, when a well-known fashion publicist named Eleanor Lambert organized something called "Press Week." Lambert was a canny PR maven who recognized that it was a propitious moment for American fashion. Before World War II, American designers were thought to be reliant on French couture for inspiration. When the Germans occupied France in 1940, one of the ensuing calamities was that buyers, editors, and designers were unable to travel to Paris to see the few remaining shows, and the fashion world fretted—would American fashion founder without the influence of French couture?
With Press Week, Lambert hoped to give editors a chance to see—and more important, write about—the work of American designers, who, freed up to create without the anxiety of French influence, were quietly making innovative strides with indigenous materials and techniques, writes Caroline Rennolds Milbank in New York Fashion: The Evolution of American Style. Ruth Finley, publisher of the Fashion Calendar (a pink-and-red schedule that the industry finds indispensable) was present at those early shows. As she tells it, Press Week was held alternately at the Pierre and Plaza Hotels. Journalists and editors stayed on-site, which meant there was none of the modern dashing between tents and taxiing around. (Buyers, a key constituent at today's shows, were in those days forced to visit the designers' showrooms for a look, Finley says.)
Lambert's plan worked. As Milbank writes, magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, whose editors were besotted with French fashion, began to feature more work by American designers and, most crucially, to credit them by name. (Many supposedly "unknown" American designers had been working for years, but their clothing usually bore the label of the retailer for which they created.) American styles were praised as modern, streamlined, and flattering, and American ready-to-wear designers were finally garnering the respect previously reserved for European couturiers. Press Week, which continued through the late '50s, eventually featured work by designers like Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Mollie Parnis, and Pauline Trigere.
Long before Lambert entered the picture, however, there were fashion shows in America. William Leach writes in Land of Desire, his excellent study of the rise of capitalism, that in 1903, a New York City specialty store called Ehrich Brothers put on what was likely this country's first fashion show, in an effort to lure middle-class female customers into the store. By 1910, many big department stores, including Wanamaker's in Philadelphia and New York, were holding shows of their own. (American retailers had likely witnessed what were called "fashion parades" in Paris couture salons and decided to import the idea.) The events were an effective way to promote merchandise, and they improved a store's status in the eyes of its clientele: Showing couture gowns bought in Paris, or, more frequently, the store's own copies or adaptations of these garments was evidence of connoisseurship and good taste. The irony, of course, was that the stores emphasized the exclusivity of French couture, even as they made it—or some approximation thereof—available to a mass-market audience.
By the 1920s, the fashion show had gone mainstream. Retailers throughout the country staged shows, often in a store's restaurant during lunch or teatime. These early shows were often more theatrical than those of today. They were frequently organized around themes—there were Parisian, Persian, Chinese, Russian, and Mexican shows, Leach notes—and often presented with narrative commentary. Wanamaker's 1908 show, Leach writes, was a tableau vivant styled to resemble the court of Napoleon and Josephine, and the models were escorted by a child done up as one of Napoleon's pages.
The department-store shows were wildly popular, drawing crowds in the thousands. According to Leach, the throngs were so disruptive to city life that merchants in New York City and elsewhere were eventually required to obtain a license for shows using live models. In New York, police threatened to put an end to the shows altogether. Indeed, the phenomenon became so widespread that in 1950 Fairchild published a book titled How To Give a Fashion Show, which begins with an appeal to the executive assistant: "Have you ever been called into the boss's office at the end of a hectic day to be greeted with, 'Miss Gordon, I've been going over the figures of the ready-to-wear division today, and I've decided that what we need to pep them up is a fashion show. I'd like you to go to work on one immediately'?" And in 1954, Edna Woodman Chase—former editor of Vogue and organizer of the 1914 "Fashion Fete," an event to benefit the war-relief effort that is often (apocryphally) called the first fashion show—complained in her memoir about the ubiquity of the phenomenon: "Now that fashion shows have become a way of life … a lady is hard put to it to lunch, or sip a cocktail, in any smart hotel or store front from New York to Dallas to San Francisco without having lissome young things … swaying down a runway six inches above her nose."
When, then, did the shows make their way to Bryant Park? During the '70s and '80s, American designers began to stage their own shows in lofts, clubs, and restaurants. According to Fern Mallis, vice president of IMG, the company that houses 7^th on Sixth—the organization that produces New York's Olympus Fashion Week, as well as several other shows—the impetus for the event we are familiar with today was literally an accident. It was 1990 and Mallis, then executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, was attending a Michael Kors show in a loft space in downtown Manhattan. When the bass started thumping, a piece of plaster came loose from the ceiling and fell onto the models as they went down the runway. As Mallis remembers it, the girls strutted on, but plaster also landed in the laps of writers Suzy Menkes and Carrie Donovan, while the rest of the crowd nervously searched for fire escapes. During another show in the early '90s, this one in a Soho loft space that was "packed to the rafters," a generator blew, leaving the crowd of editors and buyers in the dark. The audience waited for 30 minutes, holding cigarette lighters aloft as though swaying through a power ballad, until the generators were restored. It was then, Mallis says, that the fashion set said enough with small, unsafe spaces. "The general sentiment was, 'We love fashion but we don't want to die for it.' "
As head of the CFDA, Mallis took up the cause and sought out a venue where all the shows could be held in a single space. Designers, she says, were reluctant to sign on; they worried that showing in a group setting would hamper their creativity. But they also realized it would allow their work greater visibility. After an experimental first run at the Macklow (now the Millennium) Hotel on 44^th Street, the concept took off. Mallis then worked out a plan with Bryant Park to put up tents in the East and West Plazas. A year later, the Spring 1994 collections were sent down the runway, and Fashion Week as we know it began. The CFDA also created 7^th on Sixth, a separate company with its own board, and this organization formalized a schedule, drew up a press list (which is harder to infiltrate than the Vanity Fair Oscar party), and sold sponsorship to various companies. Finally, Mallis says, the shows were "organized, centralized, modernized." (Of course, as anyone who has braved the suffocating crush at Bryant Park knows, "hectic, chaotic, and frantic" seem more appropriate designations.)
Fashion Week—like Press Week before it—helped American designers reach a more international audience, as it allowed editors, writers, and buyers from abroad to see the country's best work at a single time, in a single place. But even though it can feel these days like it's always Fashion Week, the average American woman is now more removed from the fashion show than ever. Of course, department stores still host shows on occasion, but they no longer draw throngs—most of us can now safely lunch without lissome models undulating past us (if we take lunch at all). Now, the fashion show belongs to Manhattan the way the movies belong to Hollywood; the spectacle exists elsewhere, apart from our everyday lives.

Lingerie fashion

A beautiful body makes a wonderful present. A night of love will be unforgettable if the body is presented in a luxurious wrapping. Below is a list of recommendations that could help you choose the right stuff from a broad spectrum of erotic lingerie.

Erotic lingerie is meant to enhance sex life, to turn the dull routine into a night to remember. Besides, a woman wearing a sexy item feels more confident and turned-on in bed. Women were too shy to step into the world of lingerie products in the past. Nowadays you can see women in their fifties shopping for black lace bras and thong panties.

Flowing lace: a body to highlight the breasts with matching shorts to conceal the imperfections of the thighs

These days the Muslim girls flock to erotic lingerie stores to buy items of clothing for the first wedding night. Those items are far from being chaste. A white body set worn right under the wedding dress (a new way to consummate the marriage shortly after the nuptials are finished) is the hottest item of this fall. A corset mini dress is also very popular. Today’s corsets reach down to the middle of a thigh, they are equipped with adjustable garters for matching thigh high stockings. The corset is designed to shape up the figure, putting special emphasis on the breasts, thighs, and a waistline. The modern corset has plenty of adjustable hooks, ties and ribbons to suit individual tastes. Please bear in mind that a corset set with a frontal lace-up is easier to handle. The one with ties on the back requires a helper every time you want to put it on.

Vinyl body: designed to highlight the figure without concealing the curves

Leather lingerie i.e. bodies, panties, bras sell like hot cakes these days. A wraparound body can help conceal the flaws on the highs and waist while making small breasts look larger. Slipping into leather lingerie set is easier if a special lubricant (marketed with an item) is sprayed onto the body. The latest leather sets are coated with a lubricant on the inside. A tight see-through overall body (especially a mesh body) is perfect for concealing the flaws of the body. A flesh-colored body can make the skin look velvety while concealing all the furrows. An off-the-bottom overall body is the hottest item of the season. You can make love without taking it off.

An open back beaded teddy is a novelty that can really turn you on. Aside from being a very seductive item to look at, it also stimulates the erogenous parts of the body. It has pretty layers of guipure lace on the front and beaded ties on the back and up the sides to gently massage the most sensitive parts of your body as you toss and turn about the bed.

Ironclad: a coquettish lace-up softens the steely character of the studded leather top

The babydoll top is a camisole with a high waistline and a front cut is good for slender girls and voluptuous ladies. Putting emphasis on the right place is the most important thing in this case. A floral bodice line embellished with sparkling ornaments can lift up the bra cups. There is a bathing suit effect caused by too tight a fabric which makes the breasts look bigger. The frontal lace-up and rigid bodice can help push up the smaller protuberances. An asymmetric set with ruffles at the hem can emphasize the thighs. Try a babydoll set with marabou finish e.g. feathers and fluff in case you fancy a more airy look about the body.

Pasties: adhesive coverings on the nipples to substitute for the bikini top

Pasties are the recent arrival in the world of erotic lingerie. The pasties are fancy stickers shaped like hearts, leaves and flowers for covering the nipples. The prudish girls can wear pasties under their transparent underwear, others use them for fun on the beach, in a sauna or striptease bar. The most relaxed types paste them on the butt too. Creams and lotions should be removed from the stickers prior to application. Good adhesive coating can make the covering stay on the body for 24 hours. Repeated use will require a medical or any other decorative glue safe for the skin. The pasties are good for several months if stored properly. Spread them on the mirror or any other smooth glass surface after use.

Lingerie in a variety of colors with garter stockings: a devastating erotic set when combined with a see-through chemise; 4,500 rubles

Men’s g-strings with a narrow piece of fabric on the back enjoy huge popularity these days. Men with “prominent” manhood and sculptured buttocks like to put them on to impress their lovers big time on the very first night. The tanga slips are two triangle pieces of mesh fabric with ties up the sides. The bodybuilding bums like wearing them. The set is good for both the weightlifting and bedside acrobatics. Every man would not mind a bit of fun while making love so fancy slips with elephants and puppies on the front, vinyl shorts or guipure g-strings are in high demand even among family men and business types.

Luna Maya, Actress and Models, from Indonesia

Luna Maya is one of Indonesia’s most popular actresses – as well as one of its most successful models. She is also committed to helping her fellow Indonesians through charity and social work.

Born in Denpasar, Bali on August 26, 1983, Luna began her career as professional model in 1999 – at the age of just 16. She instantly made a name for herself and soon became one of the most sought after models in Indonesia.

By 2002, she was modelling full time – appearing in runway shows, and on the cover of a host of high-profile magazines, including Bazaar and Cosmopolitan.

However, Luna was determined to branch out into acting and in 2003 she appeared for the first time on television – in shows produced by MD Entertainment, such as Kau dan Aku. She also worked as a TV presenter on RCTI, Indonesia’s largest TV station.

Soon she moved from the small to the silver screen – acting in a number of very popular teen movies, including her two biggest hits so far – Bangsal 13 and the recently released Cinta Silver. Her latest film – Ruha – has not yet been released but it marks yet another leap forward in Luna’s career since she is also an assistant producer on the film. She is currently also the star of one of Indonesia’s top-rated television shows, Rahasiaku.

But Luna is determined to pursue her passion for charity and social work – as well as her increasingly successful acting and modelling careers. In fact, before joining the acting world, her ambition had been to work for the United Nations – the reason why she took International Relations as her major at Paramadina University in Jakarta.

She has been involved in a number of social and humanitarian activities. She has worked with WALHI – Indonesia’s leading environmental NGO – to highlight the importance of Earth Day, as well as appearing at fundraising events for victims of the tsunami in Aceh.

Luna has played a crucial role in the last three Walk the World events. At Walk the World 2006, Luna attracted many famous local celebrities who participated in a large scale charity concert after the walk. The event had more than 5,000 participants and raised more than US$75,000. Luna’s participation as always helped focus the media’s attention on the event.

As a Friend of WFP in Indonesia, Luna is now helping with this years Walk the World and is always available to appear at Press conferences to highlight the continued plight – and needs – of vulnerable people in Indonesia.

Influence of Japaneses fashion

Japanese women seem to be the role models of today for Southeast Asia and China. Many personal testimonials sent to MYNIPPON state that Japanese-related products in department stores and boutiques sell faster than any other items. Supposedly other Asian girls attempt to dress like Japanese girls and spend a lot of time working on becoming habitually like the Japanese. Their different complexions and body structures keep them from a complete transformation. However, that doesn't seem to keep them from trying. (Related article: Plastic surgery to look Asian)

A concern would be to question the theory that women of Southeast Asia are trying to become Japanese. A popular topic discussed these days is how Japanese women are trying to become American. Some foreigners and Japanese are disgusted by the bleaching of natural dark hair to emulate a western appearance. Has the possibility that they are simply trying new things and gaining a global taste for their appearance failed to cross anyone's mind? Jimabelle Parentez conveys her thoughts very well, "I'm proud of my Asian background. Sure I've dyed my hair red but that doesn't mean that I want to be white. That's probably the last thing I would want; I dyed my hair red because I think it looks good".

The situation may be similar for South East Asia. These women seem to be embracing Japanese fashion trends at a rapid pace. Does this make them inferior in that they can't enjoy their own culture's fashion? That would be a narrow-minded way of viewing it. To think that the masses of women living in South East Asia enjoying this kind of dress are only trying to be something they are not is likewise narrow-minded.Another question raised is the ever-present comparison to America. If Southeast Asia can adopt Japanese fashion, what keeps America from doing so? It could be the fact that Asian countries are able to relate with one another more easily when it comes to pop culture. Another speculation is the habit of trends in America. Most trends are concrete. In other words, the trend may be one style of pants or one kind of hairstyle at any given time. The trends do not usually include a range as wide as that of the Japanese. (Related: Cesar de la Parra)

To clarify this point, take the following example that comes to mind. Let's say a Japanese girl dresses in hot pink leg warmers, a mini skirt, carries around plastic toys, spikes out her hair, and wears shoes that make her twice her own height. That is supposedly considered a fashion statement in Japan. Yet, a girl wearing enormous cargo pants with huge patches sewn onto them, half her head shaved, and a neon fur coat is grouped under the same category as the girl in the pink leg warmers. America thrives on continuity, and the fashion world reflects that. If the trend is a certain scarf by a certain designer, everyone will wear that scarf (Belisi scarves). If the trend is a certain kind of pants, everyone will buy those pants in a certain color and wear them a certain way. If they were to adopt Japan's fashion all at once, all definition would be lost.Looking at the clothing that is popular among teens in Japan, you can tell that no specific items are "Japanese". The entire outfit as a whole might resemble the eccentric fashion of this group but there is no one item for America to adopt that would enable the public to label this process as an adoption of Japanese fashion. This may be only one reason for the resistance of a full J-fashion invasion. In fact, some experts say that the circulation of trends has been happening for a while now, but it has gone largely unnoticed because these are not specific material trends. The vibe of carefree and creative dress is what the Japanese give off. There is no real way to identify that in another country, as it will always be molded to fit the needs of that culture's youth. So perhaps the Southeast Asian women are not exactly trying to be Japanese. Borrowing certain fashion ideas and finding some new confidence in a way of life is not necessarily a form of emulation. It should be thought of as trying new things and being international in the way of self-expression. People spend more time accusing cultures of copying Japan than they do looking at the process of cultural diffusion in its simplest form. People will always flock to something they admire, whether it is fashion of another country or of a friend. This should not be reported as a mass conformity, as it has been recently.

Hong Kong Fashion Week

The upcoming Hong Kong Fashion Week -- Fall/Winter, to be the most international yet, is expected to attract more than 30,000 buyers for the 800 apparel and accessory companies who are exhibiting.
The 27th Hong Kong Fashion Week -- Fall/Winter, which is also the biggest of its kind in the region, is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) from January 17-20 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, taking up more than 22,000 square metres of exhibition space with 1,100 booths.
The chairman of the TDC Garment Advisory Committee, Mr Kenneth Fang, said Hong Kong Fashion Week is the most important fashion promotion and business event in Asia.
"In the world of fashion, Hong Kong has risen to become Asia's premier meeting point for every facet of the industry, from high-end design to top quality manufacturing, sourcing, selling and, increasingly, fashion promotion," Mr Fang said at a press conference today to preview some of the fine fashions to be featured in Fashion Week.
"Hong Kong Fashion Week, held twice a year for Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter collections, is now a major fixture on the international fashion calendar, attracting more than 41,900 trade visitors last year, including 11,000 from overseas, "Mr Fang said.
"They come to take the pulse of Asia's markets and to discover new trends in fashion tastes and designs across the region, where Hong Kong's own designers play a leading role.
"Overseas buyers come to find top quality garment suppliers, an area where Hong Kong, the world's leading apparel exporter, has a strong competitive edge," Mr Fang added.
He pointed out that Fashion Week has increasingly become the place where the world's top fashion houses from Europe and North America come to sell to Asia. One-third of the 800 exhibitors at this month's event are from overseas. "The presence of so many international exhibitors is an additional draw card for both local and international buyers especially those from around the region," said Mr. Fang.
A large delegation has been organised by the British Department of Trade and Industry to take part in Fashion Week for the first time, taking with them the famous DTI Clothes Show on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to Hong Kong. In addition, there will be a Europe Selection Pavilion organised by Ente Moda Italia and Igedo Company of Dusseldorf, and a California Pavilion put together by the California Fashion Association and the California State Office of Export Department.
There are also other national pavilions at Fashion Week. They include delegations from China, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka.
"The excitement of Asia's potential as a market has spread across the fashion world, firing the vision and imagination of business development executives in some of the world's most illustrious fashion houses," Mr Fang continued.
"What Hong Kong offers them is a springboard called Hong Kong Fashion Week. I believe there is no single more effective vehicle for international apparel companies to reach buyers from across the region or to gain a foothold in Asia's diverse markets."
Mr Fang added that Fashion Week is also Asia's most glamorous fashion gathering. Apart from the display of latest British and European fashions, Hong Kong's top designers and branded labels will be the stars of five major fashion shows to be staged by the TDC during the four-day event. The Hong Kong Fashion Designers' Association will organise a pavilion to promote many other local designers.
Leading fashion journalists from around the world will again be the judges to select the winners of the best Hong Kong Collections Award.
Rounding off Hong Kong Fashion Week will be the Young Designers' Contest on January 20 when the collections of 17 finalists will be paraded before an international panel of judges, including Italy's famed Dr Nicola Trussardi, who will stage a catwalk show during Fashion Week, and Jeff Banks from Britain.
The Promotsyl, a renowned international fashion forecast house, will present a fashion trend forum to provide buyers and exhibitors the latest on the upcoming trends of colour, fabrics and style for menswear, womenswear and knitwear. The forum is supported by the TDC's Fashion Club.

Australia's Next Top Models

Australia's Next Top Model is an Australian reality television show based on the American program of the same name, which is broadcast on the Australian subscription television channel FOX8, carried by Foxtel, Optus Television, and Austar. The show features a group of young female contestants who live together in a house for several weeks while taking part in various challenges, photo shoots and meetings with members of the model industry. Usually, one female is eliminated each week until the final contestant remaining is declared "Australia's Next Top Model" and wins a modelling contract along with other associated prizes. Australia's Next Top Model has been an outstanding success with audiences and is the highest rating non-sporting related program or event on subscription television in Australia. The fourth cycle concluded on July 1, 2008 and audition calls are being put out for the fifth cycle, which is set to air in 2009. It has been offically announced that the host of cycles 3 & 4 ( Jodhi Meares ) has quit the show and rumours have it that fellow judge Charlotte Dawson is tipped to be the new host however the show is searching for a new host both locally & internationally.

Originally hosted by model/presenter Erika Heynatz (Cycles 1 and 2) and later by Jodhi Meares (Cycles 3 and 4), the show is based on the American version which was created and co-produced by supermodel Tyra Banks. The Australian version has been produced by Granada Productions, who have been behind other Australian television shows including the top rating Dancing with the Stars.
Over nine weeks on air, the first series of Australia's Next Top Model charted the transformation of ten hopefuls chosen from a nationwide search in August 2004. The brief was to find raw talent to be transformed from good looking girls-next-door into potential top models and follow them as they navigated their way through weekly modelling assignments and tasks.
The 10 finalists spent two months living together in a penthouse in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Darling Point while filming the series in late 2004. Aside from the stress of learning the ropes of the business, the finalists had to deal with the ups and downs of "model house" life including tears, tantrums, accusations of fake breasts and allegations of theft.
The girls are put through challenges to test how well they can perform certain tasks significant to the modeling to see if they can incorporate what they have learned into a good shot, and the drama that comes with all the perks and privileges being shared between 10 lovely ladies.
In each episode, a panel of judges fronted by the host and a number of fashion "experts" assessed task performance and potential. After each critique, one girl was eliminated.

The Australian Model Expo

The weekend of the 28th and 29th of June is a special day in the Australian Modelling calendar, Australia's Model EXPO 2008. It's a showcase of all things scale modelling, culminating in a national open plastic model competition.
Once again, the event was hosted at the Sandown Raceway Entertainment Complex, more accustomed to the scent of racing fuel and roar of Australian Touring Cars than the smell of glue and the sight of all things small scale.
Entrants for the modelling competition arrived as early as the Friday night to enter their pieces, some from as far as Western Australia (approx 2700 kms or 1690 miles away for our imperial friends).
Early Saturday morning saw more and more entrants arrive, with the doors opening to the public after 11am. It was also an opportunity of the who's who of traders to show there stuff. Everything from kits, reference materials, casting supplies, accessories and tools were available at great 'show special' prices, so no-one had to go home empty handed. You could even get your own oil painting of your favourite tank, plane or ship with some pieces being painted while you watch.
Not only was there a great representation of kits and supplies, the numbers coming through the doors seemed to be up on previous years, and they were sure to be impressed by the quality of the kits on display. The hobby here in Australia seems to be moving from strength to strength, which was highlighted by the noticeable increase in standard of the quality of the builds. Some just had to be seen to be believed.
It was also a great opportunity to catch with the OZ MilMod gang (Peter Bibby, Michael Tabone, Matt Beattie, Brad James, Tim Kuzma, and myself).Sundays offering was not only competition day, but also Buy, Swap and Sell day. Needless to say, this is possibly the most popular part of the weekend aside from the judging and award presentations. If you wanted a bargain, that was the place to be. I've never seen so many smiling faces with arms stacked with goodies in one place. I'm pretty sure even Brad picked up some after market parts for his mythical Sherman.That set the tone for the afternoons awards presentations. All winners and entries were of an exceptional standard and this was noted by the organisers and judges. A special mention should go to Matt Beattie who picked up first for his wonderful Stug dio and commendation for his Panzer IV Ausf.G. To Michael Tabone who picked up commendations for both his Panzer 1a and Bergpanther. Michaels son Luke went home with second for his Marvel Comics Rhino figure and his daughter Hannah first for her realistic looking Ankylosaurus dinosaur. Congratulation guys, you thoroughly deserved it.
I'd also like to say a big thank you to Michael Tabone who supplied some of the pics.

The Fashion fright night in Paris

Woody Allen, asked if he thought sex was dirty, replied that it was if it was good. The same goes for Alexander McQueen's shows: they are at their wicked and wanton best when they flirt with the dark side.
McQueen's contribution to Paris fashion week did that. It was creepy and elegant, grandly conceived and expertly realised. The chill set in with the invitations, which featured fashion illustrations by Tim Burton: nightmarish storybook heroines, Frankenstein scars and ragged (but beautifully tailored) dresses.
The setting was La Conciergerie, the eerie prison of Marie Antoinette before she was beheaded. Long shadows fell on to the catwalk from wolves pacing behind bars on the gallery above. The wolves, who padded along the catwalk fastened to the first model's wrist-cuffs, turned out to be tame; the clothes did not. McQueen's tailoring created exaggerated hourglass shapes, with waists pinched tight and breasts lifted high. Curves were outlined with delicate corset lacing, or cross-bound with belted leather straps. A tweed trouser suit featured leather bands at the shoulders and around the waist and hips, bringing to mind the movable joints of china dolls.
Prim-meets-pervy is classic McQueen territory, but this was an unusually wearable collection. Schoolgirlish piped blazers, ultra-tight jeans and leather coats added a frisson to daywear. McQueen's fans will be torn between the cream lace cocktail dress with biscuit petticoat and corset lacing, and the peachy leather sheath with organza sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves.
The one-off pieces with which the show ended are destined for glass cases rather than wardrobes. Some - like the gown of cascading waves of cream chiffon that trembled delicately as cappuccino froth - were sweetness itself. But a parachute silk black coat, billowing behind a model wearing a mask and toreador hat, was deliberately sinister.

How to go from days to night in a fashionable flash

How many times have you overpacked for a vacation? How many times were you unable to fit everything into your carry-on luggage? Or gone to the beach, and when it was time for happy hour or dinner, you were still in a bathing suit? From the beach to the party, from the plane to the pool and from your cubicle to having cocktails, US Weekly contributor Jill Martin reveals how to get different looks with the same items:

Beach to chic
Looking to go from the beach or the pool on to an evening event? Well, Victoria's Secret (www.victoriassecret.com) has just come out with a 7-1 dress that allows you to go straight to a cocktail party by just tying the dress in a different way. This item is so versatile that you can wear it as a cover-up during the day with a bathing suit, then tie it as a dress at night (whichever way is most flattering to your figure). You can even throw a few accessories in your beach bag to dress up your evening attire.

If you like to really stand out during the day, add turquoise necklaces (Lee Angel at Jennifer Miller; 212.734.8199, $275), since they will dress up any outfit — from jeans and a white T-shirt to that little black dress. In terms of sprucing up the rest of your wardrobe, YSL has a fashionable and functional bag charm (www.ysl.com, $59) featuring a compact lip gloss and perfume.

If you are a heels person, throw a pair in your beach bag to take you into the evening. If you prefer flats, Calypso has a pair of gold sandals that will work day to night (www.calypso-celle.com, $35). Another way to look crisp and clean is to get the perfect white bathing suit, which can be hard to find because so many of them are see-through. Calypso has one that will allow you to stand out without revealing too much! (www.calypso-celle.com, $160). So pack your beach bag efficiently and head out!

Plane to pool
It is very frustrating to check luggage when you travel, so consider the carry-on bag. For a woman, there are two must-haves: a shawl from H&M (www.hm.com, $12.90) and a tankini. These two items will allow you to save space in your carry-on and will take you straight from the plane to the pool without even checking into your room. The tankini is a versatile two-piece suit — you can wear it as a tank top under a blazer or sweater on the plane. Then, just throw the bottoms on when you arrive at your destination, and you are set to sizzle in the sun. The H&M shawl is great because you can use it as a fashion piece over your blazer or as a blanket to keep you comfy during flights. In the warm weather, it can be tied as a sarong or used like a towel on the beach.

Now, guys, don't worry, we have a solution for you too. Ex Officio has come up with a five-pocket pant that allows you to travel in style. The pants are 100 percent nylon and are treated with Teflon. When you unzip these pants at the knee, they become shorts that can also be used as a bathing suit! (www.exofficio.com, $65).

Cubicle to cocktails
Every working woman can relate to this: How often are you at a loss for what to wear when heading to work with plans for the evening? When you want to look sexy and not stuffy, the scarf is the way to go. It must be a 36" square (it can be bigger if you want more coverage, but it must be a square). This is a must-have item for all women, whether you are going to work or going on a weekend trip. During the day, pair it with a blazer or sweater and wear it around your neck.

When you are ready for cocktails, take the scarf and lay it on a flat surface with the dull side facing up. Tie a knot in the middle of the scarf and then wrap two corners around your neck and the remaining two corners around your waist. Voila! Oh, and don't forget to throw in this clutch/wallet from Amici. It's a wallet on the inside but can double as a clutch on the outside — so throw it in your work bag and head out the door!