Italian Fashion Watch

Looks like designers are doing their best to diversify their already well established luxury empires. Donatella Versace, after opening a series of hotels and restaurants all over the world, has decided that deigning helicopter interiors is the next major step in developing the company.

It sure looks great! I would have never expected to see that, but fashion designers are always one step ahead of us

What’s next? Submarines?

A new fragrance will hit the shelves of Harrods this week courtesy of Donatella Versace. Called ‘Versace’, the new scent is said to be a floral bouquet containing notes of Jasmine, Orchid, Lotus, Blackcurrant and Lilac to name a few.

The fragrance will be available in various forms and sizes; Eau de Parfum of 30ml, 50ml and 100ml, a 50ml Perfumed Deodorant Natural Spray, a 200ml Luxury Body Lotion and a 200ml Luxury Bath & Shower Gel.

The new fragrance will be released on a larger scale as of April 2007. The fragrance was created by Euroitalia.

The company launched its renovated flagship store in Beverly Hills, unveiling a sleeker, more understated side of the decadent Versace style. In addition, creative director Donatella Versace will accept the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style award on Thursday night.

The 5,000-square-foot unit here was the first that the company overhauled from top to bottom.

“Everything is completely brand new, from the floors to the shelves to the ceiling,” said Roberto Lorenzini, president and chief operating officer of Versace USA.

The black-and-white color scheme is accented with Italian crystal display units and glossy black terrazzo marble floors, juxtaposed with matte white walls and ceilings.

“This is a new concept defined by Milan,” Lorenzini said. “For the U.S. market, the renovation is definitely an important step for us, because it’s going to show what Versace is becoming…The boutique is more sophisticated, elegant and modern.”

The store maintains a Rodeo Drive address — 248 North Rodeo Drive — but is located in the open-air Two Rodeo shopping complex, which intersects the iconic shopping street. Tiffany & Co., Gianfranco Ferré, Badgley Mischka and Gucci Fine Jewelry are among Versace’s neighbors in the center.

Donatella Versace says that Father “Gorgeous Georg” Gänswein, who serves as Pope Benedict’s personal secretary, is the inspiration behind the “priest chic” look of Versace’s fall collection, recently displayed on the runways in Milan.

The press compares Gänswein, an amateur pilot, tennis instructor, and former ski instructor, to American movie stars because of his dashing looks, and some high-profile gay Italian TV stars claim that he is the Pope’s boyfriend.

“I was certainly inspired by him. I find his austerity very elegant. It is the right moment to show an ethical and spiritual man, free from all those pointless details. I also like Gregorian garb,” Versace told the Telegraph UK.

She added that the “ideal man has biceps but ‘looks for his inside quality and trains it up, the muscles of the soul.’”

Yes, the Pope wears Prada, but his companion is more a Versace kind of guy.

Gorgeous Georg’s priestly chic inspires a new Versace show.

Versace Fall 2007 Men’s collection.

Elizabeth Hurley has finally set a date for her wedding to Arun Nayar.

The actress-and-fashion designer is reportedly planning to wed her Indian tycoon lover on the first weekend of March in an extravagant ceremony at a Gloucestershire stately home.

It has previously been reported that the 41-year-old brunette wants to celebrate her marriage with two ceremonies – one in England and the other staged over three-days in Arun’s native country of India.

Over the two weddings Elizabeth will reportedly wear a selection of bridal gowns created by her fashion designer friend, Donatella Versace, as well as traditional Indian dresses.

It has also been claimed the bride plans on treating guests to a day of shooting and hunting before her Gloucestershire wedding.

Elizabeth has allegedly been seeking wedding advice from her good friend Sir Elton John, who ‘married’ his partner David Furnish in a civil ceremony in 2005.

The fight against anorexia began a few months ago when the officials at Madrid Fashion Week banned extremely thin models from the catwalk, claiming they promote a false and unhealthy model of beauty. Amongst the first designers stood up and supported the decision was Giorgio Armani.

This really got to the public’s attention only last month when 21 years old Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston died in hospital weighing only 88 pounds.

Now, the Italian government is teaming up with more and more fashion designers to promote a “healthy, sunny, generous, Mediterranean model of beauty.”

The new regulations require models to prove they do not suffer from eating disorders, as well as banning models younger than 16.

The code was signed Friday by Melandri and Mario Boselli, president of the Italian Fashion Chamber, which includes fashion houses like Versace, Prada and Missoni.

It will probably be adopted internationally after some time. Designers who will not comply to the regulations, will be subject to some sanctions, like being assigned less favorable hours or days for their shows.

Looks like every designer started deigning fashion phones for various companies in the mobile phone and electronics industry. I think it’s becoming a new trend, and I’m sure the future offers us plenty surprises.

First, there were the two Italian designers, Dolce and Gabbana, who designed the extremely good looking MOTORAZR Motorola Phone. I must say, that’s one of the coolest phones I’ve seen in my life. With it’s gold color, it’s catches your eyes instantly. Too bad I’m not a Motorola fan.

Then, Giorgio Armani designed the Samsung Limited Edition Armani Exchange Ultra Edition 6.9 in Blue, for the well known Korean company which manufactures everything electronics. I have two Samsung TVs and a D600 phone by the way, but that’s another story.

The phone presents itself as great. It has a more simple look. Very modern. The only reason I don’t like is because I already have the technologically more advanced D600, which has way more interesting features for the technology addict

Now I see that Prada is also moving into the fashion phones design industry. The company they’re working with is LG, another important mobile phone manufacturer. They’ve just launched their new creation these days.

With all of this, I wonder which designer will go for Nokia. I’m sure the design is already in progress. I bet we’ll hear about it in the next two or three weeks maximum. Nokia can’t remain behind in this new venture.

Will it be Versace or Gucci…

Designer brands Prada, Versace and Armani have agreed to ban skinny models from the catwalk.

The Italian label’s action was prompted by the death of two models and comes into force in Milan Fashion Week.

Madrid Fashion Week kick started the initiative which Milan and Paris initially resisted.

However it is believed that Camera Nazionelle della Moda Italiano, which represents the county’s top fashion brands, changed position and has agreed a January deadline in time for Milan Fashion Week 2007.

Italian youth minister Giovanna Melandri told the Metro: “The Camera della Moda will take action against designers who do not respect the manifesto.

They could be removed from the fashion calendar or, in the most serious cases, banned from the fashion week.”

In a fashion trend that refuses to go out of style, Giorgio Armani, Donatella Versace and other couturiers continue to moonlight as hoteliers.

Armani’s new line of luxury hotels will make its debut in Dubai, featuring a sprawling spa, plenty of Armani Casa furnishings and luxury apartments. It will be the first of at least 10 hotels in major shopping destinations like Milan and New York.

The Italian luxury brand Missoni will unveil its first hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, and a second Casa Camper, a small boutique hotel as quirky as the company’s shoes, is going up in Berlin.

Ground is soon being broken for the second Palazzo Versace hotel, with a neo-Classical facade and a tropical fish-filled swimming pool, in Dubai’s Arabian Bays. (Versace has recently announced plans to open 15 new hotels over the next 30 years).

Those Armani, Missoni, Casa Camper and Versace hotels are expected to open in 2008, but there’s no need to wait that long.

The short list of haute hotels being unveiled next season includes Christian Lacroix’s second hotel collaboration in Paris, the Hotel Bellechasse. The Castiglion del Bosco, a 4,500-acre estate managed by the Ferragamo family’s hotel company, will open next year in Tuscany.

Versace Group has invested 10 million euros in China to set up nine new stores, all of which are expected to operate in 2007. It is learned this may just be a beginning.

Group Executive Director Giancarlo Di Risio and designer Donatella Versace are in Beijing for brand publicizing and they will go to Shanghai and Hong Kong after that.

Giancarlo Di Risio started to take over the management of the Group from August 2004.Within two years, the company’s turnover increased to 148 million euros, the original debt of 120 million euros was basically removed, while cash flow increased from two million euros from 16 million euros.

Giancarlo Di Risio said, “We have an agreement on the strategic direction, as we enter China, that is to re-adjust the brand position, we hope Versace brand is not just a simple fashion brand. Instead, it should be a luxurious brand. Fashion always comes and goes in great haste, but a luxury will always exist. I do not agree that China is a type of B market that could only be used to increase market sales. I believe that a long historic name, like ‘VERSACE’, is a brand that Chinese consumers are looking for.”

This is the first time for Designer Donatella to visit China, she said at a news conference with a bit shy, “I am a delicate woman. So in all my fashion creations, I think most of the women who have figures, similar to mine. And most Chinese women have much same body figures like me, perhaps it is one of the reasons why we can achieve tremendous success in China.”