Be inspi(red), send Hallmark Red cards or be fashionably Red by wearing H & M DAA T-shirts designed by the songbird and covergirl Rihanna. With the AIDS numbers continuing to climb in third world countries, most notably Africa, the small gestures may go a long way in helping to sustain life and find a cure. The T-shirts from H & M are $14.90 and 25% of the sales price proceeds goes to HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs via DAA.com (Designers Against Aids). With Hallmark, you can send a Product Red Card with Sound and those proceeds can help provide enough medicine for one mother to reduce the risk of passing HIV on to her child during childbirth. Marie Claire, always a leader in human suffering awareness and prevention, will make a donation to the RED campaign for every Hallmark card receipt received. You can log onto Hallmark.com/RED for more information or pop into the nearest H & M and purchase a t-shirt. For Marie Claire (as reported in their magazine’s promotional section), send your receipts to Jen Tryon, C/O Hallmark (RED), 300 West 57th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019.
Go RED!

Giorgio Armani is a designer on a mission, that mission is to be a true
global brand. His latest venture, launching his Emporio Armani underwear
collection with soccer Icon David Bechham as the global face, well, body for
the brand. Why the tie-in with Beckham? They previously worked together when
Armani did the 2002 Manchester United’s uniforms, and Bechham’s popularity and high visibility of course. Those things will help in the global push that the Emporio Armani underwear needs in the U.S. Markets.

The ads, recently shot in Los Angeles by Alas and Piggott, will debut in fashion fashion magazines in January 2008. I for one can not wait to see the smoldering ads. If they are anything like the ones Becks and wife Victoria have shot with Terry Richardson for their signature scents, they might almost be too much to behold. Please PR executives, let them rival in size the billboard ads for Calvin Klein

Much ado has been made of Giselle Bündchen, one of the world’s richest models, asking to be paid in Euro versus the dollar. Well, let's face it - she did not get to be one of the richest without some cent sense. According to WWD, her agency has explained that she requests to be paid by clients in whatever currency is prevalent in its country. Why is the focus on her when you have rappers throwing Euros in the air in place of dollar
bills, wealthy companies, countries and individuals shorting the dollar
due to its on going weakeness?

If you are a Dr. 90210 fan, listen up. It seems that Robert Rey, M.D. —
he of the Dr. 90210 reality series fame, lots of big breasts, super skinny
wife, bratty kids — is applying his sugical touch to shape enhancing
lingerie. He has teamed up with Australian lingerie designer Bruno
Schiavi to create Dr. Rey’s Shapewear, a six-piece line that launched
last month in over 800 Sears stores and on the Home Shopping Network.
The pieces range in price from $27 to $60. For those who are not quite
as asset blessed as his clients or do not want plastic surgery, this
‘instant shape’ line can give everyonea slimmer, sexier silhouette.
Reportedly this is achieved by decreasing a full-bodied woman’s
silhouette by up to 5 inches. I'm a bit skeptical. Dita, are you
listening? Please try it and let us know.

Thank you very much Gucci and Unicef! Perhaps they have never
considered that fashion week is an arduous experience onto itself.
Although from the outside it seems glamorous, traveling to cities to
see and review shows, the lights, cameras... it really adds up to
back-to-back appointments, lots of standing and waiting, feet hurting
and rushed, greasy meals. Add in the celebrity factor, well just stick
a fork in it, its done. A celebrity attending a designer’s show adds
anywhere from a half hour delay upwards of 2 hours, along with fashion
reporters such as myself being pushed over, walked upon, lights bulb
flashes blinding you and over crowding. Well come February 2008, Gucci
along with Unicef will be hosting a celebrity studded auction to raise
awareness and funds for the Malawi Orphans (as reported here in an
early blog). The problem is , at least for the people actually there to
cover fashion, it coincides with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New
York, which of course will mean much more of the celebrity mayhem
sameness. Do they make Hummer constructed shoe wear? Seems like I will
definitely need it.

Katie. Nicole. Kate. Kiera. Carmen. Jessica. Kelly. The trend, as sported by these lovely ladies, is definitely big, chunky bangs. Of course the bang trend is nothing new — Cleopatra, Marianne Faithful, Anna Wintour... The cuts are kinder and more modernized than in early 2000, thank goodness. Think wispy bangs that spill over the forhead and plays peek-a-boo with the eyes for square and oval faces. Blunt cut ones with a chin length bob that evokes Anna Wintour for a square face shape. Side swept for a updated allure goes well with oval or squoval shaped faces. Longer, straighter bangs with blown straight shoulder length hair for that Jane Birkin je ne sais quois is great on round or oval shapes. Note to live by: No bowl cuts, though, please! We don't want any flashbacks to middle school.

Iman — supermodel, mother, cosmetics mogul — only had to travel as far as her jewelry cases and closets for inspiration for her new handbag
and jewelry collection, Global Chic.

An avid collector of vintage jewelry, she used her elaborate vintage
engagement ring as the creative spring board for the collection. “When
I thought about doing the collection, I asked myself, ‘what must I have
for me?’” “I have a busy life. I need something that could take me from an evening out with a rock star to a PTA meeting to playing ball with the big boys in the cosmetics industry. And it always came back to
accessories.” Iman said when speaking with Womens’ Wear Daily in New York. The collection, is comprised of replicas of her engagement ring
and her 15th Anniversary Fred Leighton stunner from rock icon husband
David Bowie, gold bangles, cocktail rings, wooden cuffs and handbags.
The line will be sold on HSN.com and is priced from $19.95 to $59.95.

So if you live locally but dream globally, Global Chic baubles should be in
your fashionable future.

The ‘fashion walk’ in the garment district, akin to an urban Grauman’s
Chinese Theatre, has just made the first designer updates since 2002.
Inductees Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Bill Blass and Geoffry Beene join
the designer ranks of Oscar de la Renta, Pauline Trigere, James
Galanos, Donna Karan, Bonnie Cashin and more. Between the years 2000
and 2002 eight designers were voted on and immortalized with white
bronze placques — 2 1/2 feet in diameter — on Seventh ‘Fashion’ Avenue,
from 35th to 41rst Streets. Each nominee is considered and voted on by
150 of the fashion industry leaders, who look for each person having a
significant presence in New York, owned their own business for a
minimum of ten years and had a powerful impact in the fashion industry
either through innovative design, use of materials or significantly
influenced the way America dresses. So if you are in New York City and
are a fashion history buff, walk on by.

As though the new, repugnant Eiffel Tower handbag that has been making the video clip rounds due to the Sex in the City movie, was not fashion regrettable enough, now there is an accompanying shoe. When did the iconic 1889 Parisian landmark move into designer focus? More importantly why? I’m sure when Gustave Eiffel sketched, and built the tower he was not thinking, ‘what shoes or handbags will go with this look. Perhaps someone should have told Timmy Wood — designer of the Eiffel Tower bag — and Patricia Fields that. Thankfully, Anne Valérie Hash’s Eiffel shoe is better to look at, clever almost, well okay not quite. The shoe comes in a bronze leather with lattice work on the heel, a dual buckle strap and the outline of the Eiffel across the top of shoe. I absolutely draw the line at a London Bridge design!

Designer Christian Lacroix is everywhere. He has a new fragrance, his
fashion house is flourishing, has a diffusion line with the French mass
retailer, La Redoute, and now has lent his couturier hand to water. His
recent collaboration with Evian has resulted in a winter release of
Haute Couture and Pret-à-porter limited edition etched glass water
bottles dedicated to the fashion industry. Why anyone would want to pay
$6 and upwards for the same water that comes in the standard Evian
plastic bottle is beyond me, but look for these Couture bottles to pop
up all over the upcoming February New York Fashion week, at all the
best after parties and in all the fashionista’s and socialista’s hands.