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FASHION / POLITICS - The recession in the United States is affecting the fashion industry and results are dire for some of the big fashion brands and for new designers alike. In Canada retailers and consumers are pondering one big question: Will Canadian fashion designers survive today's tough economy? And if some fail, who will survive? Arthur Mendonça, one of Canada's most promising designers, is closing business. A casualty of today's uncertain economy and "big brand" era, Mendonça's luxurious clothes once made him a stylish find at Holt Renfrew and other select Canadian boutiques. His sexy designs were often worn by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado. "What happened with Arthur is not uncommon for young start-up designers," says Barbara Atkin, Holt Renfrew's Vice President of Fashion Direction. "Arthur's announcement came out, unfortunately, at the same time that the economy started to make a downturn. But the problems started long bef...

I'm a huge fan of Beardyman , so it's with great pleasure I share with you his latest colaboration with mr_hopkinson . If you get a chance to watch this guy live, go, don't think twice. It's a hell of a show! You might know him from " Kitchen Diaries "

This one is a shameless self-promotion as I am the Art Director responsible for this TV Advert for Relance, a new Portuguese magazine covering various subject matters, such as Design, Fashion, Architecture, Food, etc. One of the reasons I have been so busy, and haven't been able to post much. Hope you guys like it. Do give me your feedback and let me know what you think. The concept of the ad is that the subjects are being compressed into the magazine. We had a purpose built machine to smash the objects, and then we filmed them with a special high speed camera, which I'm sure some of you guys already know, called Phantom . This impressive camera films at 1000fps in High Definition. The process was a lot of fun and very unpredictable. You just want to keep smashing stuff and trying new things. Voice over says: "A mindful look at everything contemporaneous." Credits: Agency: Uzina (Lisbon, Portugal) Creative Director: Gustavo Suarez Art Director: André Breda Copywriter...

I'm sure you've notice the lack of posting. I'm sorry but the past weeks have been hectic with work here at the agency. We're trying to kick the financial crisis ass :p That, and the fact that I'm trying to "re-design" Advertising etc. New look and very probably new name, plus a very likely move to WordPress, as I keep having trouble with posting and editing html on Blogger. Hopefully it will be better, more organized and with more original content. Meanwhile, there might be a few glitches on the blog, but hopefully it will be worthwhile. All the best, André

UNITED STATES - Sarah Palin spent more than $150,000 on a fashion makeover in preparation for her vice-presidential campaign. So what? Critics have been down on Palin for a September spending spree, paid for by the Republican National Committee, which provided her with a complete wardrobe for the campaign, plus hair and makeup consultants, and a few extras for her kids and husband. The governor of Alaska, who used to campaign wearing fleece, is now apparently donning designer duds, purchased at retail prices from high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, according to financial disclosure reports. While a wardrobe costing $150,000 may seem over the top at first glance, style insiders say the fashion math makes perfect sense when you consider Palin's previous small-town lifestyle and wardrobe, the media glare that is focused so intensely on her appearance, and the high-powered global role she's going after. "We hear the number and we say, `Wow,...

FASHION - Spring-summer 2009 collections – the current season in the always mad, seasonally dyslexic world of fashion – are showing short skirts and dresses that scarcely cover the important bits. The mini skirt is the message. Traditionally there's been the belief in the "hemline effect", which is reputed to be an economic indicator created by U.S. economist George Taylor in the 1920s, suggesting that when hemlines go up, the economy is likely to improve. Meanwhile the United States one of the worst economic climates since September 11th , and its in a credit crisis . But will women spend their hard-earned money on mini-skirts just because the fashion designers think the economy will improve? Or is this just fashion designers trying to cash in on the philosophy of showing lots of leg? Designer and bespoke dressmaker Rosemarie Umetsu of R.U. boutique in Toronto agrees that there is always a market for short-short-short. "I always have short in my collections and, f...

FASHION - Long derided as the ultimate menswear misstep, wearing socks with sandals is being elevated to the status of fashion trend. The S&S look, commonly worn by nerdy tourists, aging hippies, grunge musicians and outdoorsy types, was trotted out unabashedly during the spring menswear collections of designers like Miuccia Prada, Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent and Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga. For fashionistas, this odd coupling of socks and sandals constitutes a particularly egregious type of male fashion crime and belongs in a category that includes flood pants, too-tight clothing, pinkie rings and fanny packs. Nevertheless, a handful of truly directional fashion designers feels they have the clout to turn what's considered by many to be a lapse in judgment into something that approaches avant garde. The look is loathed, particularly by women. Check sandalandsoxer.co.uk for examples of men who have been captured on film in heavy work socks with Birkenstocks or ...