Les filles de Victoria's Secret...

Ahhhh je les adorent, j'aurais bien aimé être une Victoria's secret Girl, mais malheureusement ma culture et mes valeurs ne me le permettent pas : (

Victoria's Secret
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Sonata Arctica single, see Victoria's Secret (song)

Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products.[2] It is the largest brand and a segment of publicly traded Limited Brands with sales surpassing USD$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006.[2] Victoria's Secret is known for its fashion shows and catalogues, which feature top fashion models.


History

Victoria's Secret was started in San Francisco, California in 1977 by Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus Roy Raymond,[3] who felt embarrassed trying to purchase lingerie for his wife in a public and awkward department store environment. He opened the first store at Stanford Shopping Center, and quickly followed it with a mail order catalog and 3 other stores.[3] The stores were meant to create a comfortable environment for men, with wood-paneled walls, Victorian details and helpful sales staff. Instead of racks of bras and panties in every size, there were single styles, paired together and mounted on the wall in frames. Men could browse for sexy styles for their girlfriends so they could get "down and dirty" and then sales staff would help estimate the appropriate size, pulling from inventory in the back. In 1982, after 5 years of operations, Roy Raymond sold the company to The Limited.

The Limited kept the personalized image of Victoria's Secret intact. Victoria's Secret was rapidly expanded into the U.S. malls throughout the 1980s. The company was able to vend a widened range of products such as shoes, evening wear, and perfumes among others with its mail catalog issued eight times annually.

By the early 1990s, Victoria's Secret had become the largest American lingerie retailer topping one billion dollars.[4]

On 10 July 2007, Limited Brands sold 75% of Limited clothing chain to firm Sun Capital Partners to focus and boost sales growth on Victoria's Secret lingerie stores and Bath & Body Works units, which provided 72% of revenue in 2006 and almost all the firm's profit.[5]

1,000 Victoria's Secret lingerie stores and 100 independent Victoria's Secret Beauty Stores in the US, mostly in shopping centers. It sells brassieres, panties, hosiery, cosmetics, sleepwear, and much more. Victoria's Secret mails more than 400 million of its catalogues per year.[1] Under pressure from environmentalist groups, Victoria's Secret's parent firm and a conservation group have reached an agreement to make the lingerie retailer's catalogue more environmentally friendly in 2006. The catalogue will no longer be made of pulp supplied from any woodland caribou habitat range in Canada, unless it has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The catalogs will also be made of 10 percent recycled paper from post-consumer waste.[6]

Victoria's Secret is now building its image with a fairly conservative, middle-class shopper in mind and avoids any connotations of sleaziness that lingerie might carry.[4]

The company gained notoriety in the early 1990s after it began to use supermodels in its advertising and fashion shows. Throughout the past decade, it has refused to follow the celebrity trend, turning down at least one celebrity a month begging to model the brand.[7]

Victoria's Secret makes use of a rigorous customer service model, stressing upselling, frequent staff attention, and signing customers up for a store credit card that provides discounts for frequent shoppers in the way of coupons by mail and free merchandise.[citation needed]

Victoria's Secret Angels
Victoria's Secret Angels on a commercial for the Secret Embrace line.

"Victoria's Secret Angels" are the brand's most visible models and spokeswomen. The VS Angels made their début in 1999 in the fourth annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Daniela Pestova, Laetitia Casta, Heidi Klum, Stephanie Seymour, and Tyra Banks are among the "Angels" from the original promotion.[8] In May 2007, the Victoria's Secret Angels, including Adriana Lima, Selita Ebanks, Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Izabel Goulart, and Karolina Kurkova were chosen to be part of People Magazine's annual "100 Most Beautiful People in the World" issue. [9] The 'Angels' are among the world's best-paid models. [7]

On November 13, 2007, Victoria's Secret Angels became the first trademark awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [10]

Current

* Flag of Germany Heidi Klum - (1999 - present)
* Flag of Brazil Adriana Lima - (2000 - present)[11]
* Flag of Brazil Alessandra Ambrosio - (2004 - present)[12]
* Flag of the Czech Republic Karolína Kurková - (2005 - present)[12]
* Flag of Cayman Islands Selita Ebanks (2005 - present) [13]
* Flag of Australia Miranda Kerr - (2006 - present)
* Flag of the United States Marisa Miller - (2007- present)
* Flag of the Netherlands Doutzen Kroes - (2008 - present)[14]

The models started working for the company before being contracted as Angels. Listed below are the years the current Angels started shooting and working for the company. Their first runway show for the company is the second year listed below. The years the models were contracted into Angels are listed above.

* Heidi Klum - 1997, First Runway:1997
* Adriana Lima - 1998, First Runway:1999
* Alessandra Ambrosio - 2001, First Runway:2000
* Karolina Kurkova - 2001, First Runway:2000
* Selita Ebanks - 2003, First Runway:2005
* Miranda Kerr - 2005, First Runway:2006
* Marisa Miller - 2001, First Runway:2007
* Doutzen Kroes - 2004, First Runway:2005

Former

* Flag of Denmark Helena Christensen - (1998)
* Flag of Canada Yasmeen Ghauri - (1998)
* Flag of the United States Rebecca Romijn - (1998)
* Flag of France Laetitia Casta - (1998 - 1999)
* Flag of the Netherlands Karen Mulder - (1998 - 1999)
* Flag of the United States Stephanie Seymour - (1998 - 1999)
* Flag of the Czech Republic Daniela Peštová - (1998 - 2003)
* Flag of the United States Tyra Banks - (1998 - 2005)[13]
* Flag of Argentina Maria Inés Rivero - (2000)
* Flag of Brazil Gisele Bündchen - (2000 - 2007)[15]
* Flag of Brazil Izabel Goulart - (2005 - 2008)

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

In 1995, Victoria's Secret held its first fashion show; the world press reported it as the "lingerie event of the century". In 1999, the VS company made broadcast history in simultaneously broadcasting a live fashion show online and at Times Square, drawing some 1.5 million viewers, after being advertised during the Super Bowl American football game.[16][17]

In 2000, the show was held in Cannes, France, during the Cannes Film Festival to raise money for the Cinema Against AIDS charity; it raised $3.5 million.

In 2001, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show made its broadcast television debut on ABC, drawing millions of viewers and middle-brow controversy; the Federal Communications Commission receives many complaints about each broadcast every time.[18]

In 2004, instead of the annual fashion show, The Angels (Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima, and Alessandra Ambrosio) did an Angels Across America Tour, a grassroots campaign for the brand visiting four major cities, New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.[12]

In 2005, the Rutgers University Drumline made a guest appearance for the show's finale. This was Tyra Banks' last runway appearance.

The 2007 show featured a performance by the Spice Girls and gained prominence as the first American TV debut of the band after their comeback.[19] Kanye West was also scheduled to perform at the event, but cancelled his appearance due to his mother's death. Will.i.am was called to perform in his place.[20]

The fashion show features mostly lingerie and a multi-million-dollar "Fantasy Bra." In 2006, Victoria's Secret's sub-brand Pink made its debut on the runway. The show has since evolved into a lavish event with elaborate costumed-lingerie, varying music, and set design according to the different themes running within the show. The show attracts hundreds of celebrities and entertainers, with special performers and/or acts every year. The giant angel wings worn by the models, as well as other wings of various forms and sizes such as butterfly, peacock, or devil wings, are Victoria's Secret's fashion trademark. The fashion show is also a meeting of today's supermodels, who are always posing in the middle, after the final walk.[17]

In the past, most of the clothing exhibited was not for sale, but in 2005, the show featured the clothing for sale in the catalogue

vivre la technologie!

Beauté: les mascaras à vibrations nous font de l'œil

Annie Lafrance, collaboration spéciale
Le Soleil

(Québec) Après les tubes à deux embouts et les brosses de caoutchouc, voilà que les mascaras électriques nous font les yeux doux. Pour cet indispensable de notre trousse à cosmétiques, il s'agit d'une innovation qui change la gestuelle et, au résultat, notre regard. Pour le moment, deux compagnies se font la lutte de la vibration : Estée Lauder et son mascara Turbolash a été le premier, suivi de près par Ôscillation de Lancôme. Ces deux mascaras présentent une brosse vibrante à pile qui sépare les cils à la racine, permettant ainsi de définir l'oeil comme jamais auparavant.

À première vue, avoir un mascara vibrant à quelques millimètres de l'oeil ne semble pas confortable. C'est pourtant tout le contraire. «La vibration est à peine perceptible, mais elle est bien présente. Notre mascara compte 7000 micro-oscillations à la minute», dit Antoinette Ritondo, chef national de la formation pour Lancôme.

Pour l'appliquer, il suffit de déposer la brosse à la racine des cils et de les peigner d'un geste plus droit à la verticale. On peut repasser à volonté, selon l'épaisseur et la courbe qu'on veut leur donner. Pas de zigzags, ni de risque de grumeaux! «L'avantage est qu'on peut jouer avec la brosse selon l'effet désiré. En repassant seulement sur les pointes des cils, par exemple, on augmentera l'effet de volume et de courbure tandis que les femmes ayant des cils courts pourront créer une sensation de faux cils en étirant le produit sur les cils», ajoute la spécialiste de Lancôme.

«La technique d'application n'a pas besoin d'être parfaite car la brosse fait le travail toute seule : elle sépare et définit les cils bien plus efficacement qu'une brosse manuelle», affirme pour sa part Anne Carullo, vice-présidente principale, innovation et conception internationale chez Estée Lauder.

Mouvement multi-effets

Vous désirez des cils plus fournis, plus longs ou mieux définis? Inutile de changer de brosse : le Turbolash d'Estée Lauder se module selon vos besoins. Grâce à ses micro-vibrations de 125 cycles par seconde, la brosse se faufile rapidement entre les cils, même les plus petits, et les gaine de son produit. En séparant continuellement les cils un à un, les vibrations de la brosse permettent d'appliquer plusieurs couches de mascara sans pour autant former de grumeaux, comme c'est souvent le cas avec d'autres mascaras. Testé sous contrôle dermatologique et sans parfum, il convient aux yeux sensibles ainsi qu'aux porteuses de verres de contact.

Mascara Turbolash, 38,50 $ dans les comptoirs Estée Lauder et chez Holt Renfrew

Cils pailletés

Décembre est le mois idéal pour en mettre plein la vue et pour oser un maquillage plus flamboyant. Mê­me le mascara suit la tendance pailletée de l'année. Le nouveau classique, Le 2 de Guerlain, est offert, pour un temps limité, dans un joli tube violet métallisé à deux embouts, avec une base noire sur la brosse longue et une formule mau­ve scintillante à l'autre extrémité, que l'on superpose sur le noir. L'édition Butterfly Sparkle de Guerlain vous fera battre... des cils!

Mascara Le 2 Édition Butterfly Sparkle de Guerlain, 37 $ aux comptoirs Guerlain

Ultra-volume

Bien qu'il n'y ait pas de vibration, à l'intérieur de ce tube dodu et orange se cache une méga-brosse très fournie munie de poils en plastique qui enrobent chaque cil de sa formule volumisante, laquelle est enrichie de particules sphériques de cire. Voici le mascara LashBlast de CoverGirl. Résultat : plus de volume et moins de grumeaux. Son seul défaut est qu'il n'augmente pas l'effet de longueur, quoique le maxi-volume nous est suffisant. Disponible depuis quelques mois, il est rapidement devenu le chouchou des maquilleurs professionnels. Depuis peu, une version hydrofuge est aussi offerte. Et son petit prix en fait notre nouveau compagnon de tous les jours!

Mascara LashBlast de CoverGirl, 9,49 $ en pharmacie

Formule renommée

Reconnu pour la précision et l'efficacité de ses mascaras, Lancôme a mis près de quatre années à peaufiner ce nouveau Ôscillation qui, gageons-le, sera des plus populaires. Les attentes étaient grandes puisque, aux États-Unis seulement, environ 21 000 clientes étaient sur la liste d'attente. Les plus chanceuses ont pu mettre la main sur le nouveau tube lors d'une journée prévente le 20 novembre, alors que la majorité devra attendre l'arrivée sur les tablettes, samedi. Ôscillation combine plusieurs technologies : non seulement sa brosse vibrante permet de mieux définir le regard, mais il est aussi doublé d'une formule parfaitement homogène qui colle bien à chaque cil. Dès la première application, nous avons vu la différence : chaque cil est plus long et bien séparé à la base. L'attente en valait la peine!

Le mascara Ôscillation sera vendu 39 $ chez La Baie à partir du 6 décembre et dans tous les comptoirs Lancôme en janvier 2009.

Couleurs tendance automne hiver 2008

mercredi, 27 août 2008

Une touche de pourpre et de fruits de la forêt afin de rehausser les couleurs neutres telles que le noir et le gris, un look impossible à manquer!

Une explosion de teintes à agencer en camaïeu.

Colorez votre automne!

1: Blouson, H & M, 79,90$.
2: Robe, H & M, 39,90$.
3: Foulard, Mango.
4: Ombres à paupières Cult of cherry, spiced chocolate, Mac, 43$.
5: Cardigan teint par nouage, Baie Blue Label, La Baie, 128$.
6: Veste et jupe, Mango.
7: Pull rayé avec manches princesses, 50% laine/50% acrylique, Old Navy.
8: Ballerine en cuir avec détail lanière et bouton, Gaynelle, fuschia, Aldo, 60$.
9: Collant avec motif de diamants, Finarete, bourgogne, Filodoro, 1-800-881-4392, 24,95$.
10: Fourre-tout en suède, Cole Haan, 450$.
11:Bracelet sur élastique, rectangles de verre, étain et ruban, Stella Bijoux, 23$.


Où se les procurer:

H & M: www.hm.com
Mango:514-397-2323, 1000 Ste Catherine O, Montréal, www.mango.com
Mac: www.maccosmetics.com
La Baie: 1 866 746-7422, www.hbc.com
Old Navy: 1-800-old-navy, www.oldnavy.com
Aldo: 1-800-326-ALDO, www.aldoshoes.com
Cole Hann: 1-800-201-8001, www.colehaan.com
Stella Bijoux: 514-678-749, www.isabeldesy.com


Paméla Venne

10 Ways To Glamorize Your Wardrobe

Want a little flash in your eveningwear?

Being glamorous is not something that can be taught. It’s a quality that just is. It’s that person everybody knows; guys want to be near her and girls want to be her. It’s that certain joie de vivre that can’t be copied, only admired.

That’s the bad news (unless you are that person, in which case, well done). The good news for the rest of us is that while we may not be able to exude that same confident swagger, we can at least dress the part, which may well be where it all begins.

Here is a list of the 10 most chic and glamorous evening pieces you should definitely be adding to your wardrobe. It may take some time, but with a little glamour infusion, you’ll be well on your way to looking the part.

Long Satin Gloves

We have officially seen the return of true old Hollywood glamour to the runways. When thinking of the sirens from the past, two things come to mind: big hair and elbow length satin gloves. Pair them with a sleeveless, slinky little black dress (LBD) and channel your inner Marilyn Monroe.

Jewel Clutch

Evenings out require a purse of some kind, but when dress codes apply, there’s one style in particular every girl must own: the clutch. It may require a little more care, as it’s quite easy to misplace, but in the beautiful bright jewel tones of the moment, it shouldn’t be too hard to keep track of.

Sequins

Sequins are the statement of the moment, especially in eveningwear, so whether it’s a dress or a shoe strap, make this statement part of your style vocabulary.

Leopard Print Dress

Meow! Almost nothing is hotter or more attention grabbing than a long, silky, skin-tight leopard print gown. It’s always been the rule of thumb for women to stick with black for evening, but now more than ever, this is becoming taboo. Glamour is about standing out and making a splash, and nothing will help you in your quest more than making an entrance to your next party in this wild print.

Feathered Evening Bag

If you’re like me, keeping track of your own head might be hard if it weren’t permanently attached, so an evening bag might make more sense than a clutch for your evening travails. Feathers, like sequins, are popping up everywhere and on everything, and they happen to be the perfect accessory in bags.

Gold Trousers

Gold is the new black and with the rise of androgyny in women’s clothing, it’s becoming more and more likely women will arrive in a finely tailored tuxedo pant and jacket rather than a fussy dress. Gold trousers might be the perfect choice for that next big event and perhaps more comfortable too.

Gold Strappy Stilettos

On the other hand, you may have to sacrifice the comfort of your feet – we can’t have it all. Nothing beats a great stiletto, especially one with substance that makes everyone say, “Wow.” Shoes have always been the easiest way for women to make a statement and since we’ve already established that gold is in, I suggest finding a pair to go with that LBD hanging in your closet just waiting to make an appearance.

Little Red Dress

Forget I wrote LBD in that last sentence, because black, while extremely chic, is also extremely safe, so let’s move on to something guaranteed to bring glamour back. The little red dress is the new LBD and is definitely not for the faint of heart. Enough said.

Fur Stole

Cold weather can definitely put a damper on a woman’s right to look chic and glamorous…but it doesn’t have to. While you may feel silly donning a full fur coat, as I would, wearing a stole over your shoulders might be a tad more doable. Capelets are back in a big way and with an added touch of fur, you’ll be transported back to the days of yore.

Costume Jewellery

It may not be real and it may not be worth a lot, but costume jewellery is definitely where the glamour’s at. Go for big, bold pieces with lots of jewels and, as they say these days, bling.

___________________________________
old hollywood glamour

Being glamorous is about having lots of panache and a strong sense of style. You have to work it and work it hard, which means not caring what everyone else in the room is doing or wearing. It’s about what makes you feel comfortable and happy. If being an individual is important to you, than being glamorous may already be part of who you are. Be adventurous and try some of these looks for your next evening out. It will probably be a departure from your usual, but you may just find it’s you.Need advice on your style? Post questions on TheSoko.com!

A Label for a Pleather Economy

Les "fashionistas" deviennent des "recessionistas"!

Voici un artcicle du New York Times concernant l'effet de l'économie actuelle sur les habitudes de consommation des fashionistas américaines. Dans le climat de récession qui flotte dans l'air, les "fashionistas" deviennent des "recessionistas"!

Mais nous, on est déjà des recessionistas lol!

A Label for a Pleather Economy

By NATASHA SINGER

Published: October 24, 2008

IN an economic climate in which buying a handbag with a four- or five-digit price tag is starting to seem gauche, the free-spending style hounds formerly known as “fashionistas” are rebranding themselves.

Stephanie Diani for The New York Times
COST CONSCIOUS Mary Hall started a blog to chronicle her cheap and chic choices.

Consider the $1,235 patent-leather satchel with golden hardware designed by Anya Hindmarch.

Mary Hall, a marketing manager at I.B.M. in Redondo Beach, Calif., heard its siren call. Then she went to Target to purchase a similarly shiny purse, made out of polyvinyl chloride, by the same designer. Price: $49.99.

“In the current economy, I thought I would reform,” Ms. Hall said.

Welcome to “recession chic” and its personification, the “recessionista,” the new name for the style maven on a budget. That the word represents the times could explain why Sarah Palin’s new wardrobe ($75,000 at Neiman Marcus and nearly $50,000 at Saks) struck some as distasteful.

Ms. Hall, who first read the term in newspapers and on Web sites like Jezebel.com, even started a blog to chronicle her cheap and chic choices: therecessionista.blogspot.com.

In part, the word reflects the efforts of fashion and beauty publicists to spin the economic downturn as an attractive retail trend. For instance, Bourjois, a moderately priced makeup line from France, sent a recent press release by e-mail to reporters promoting the brand’s cheapest mascara and lip glosses as “the Recessionista Collection,” an antidote to gloom. An e-mail message sent last week on behalf of Salon Eliut Rivera in Manhattan promoted “Recessionista Beauty,” offering discounts on haircuts and eyebrow shaping.

The use of the word recessionista is “making light of a situation that isn’t so favorable for the consumer-driven industries of our nation, spinning it ... and delivering a luring message to the masses — PR 101 ladies and gentlemen,” wrote Heather Viggiani on the blog of a public relations firm where she works part-time, www.piercemattiepublicrelations.com.

Ms. Viggiani, who is also an undergraduate student in advertising and marketing at Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, went on to describe a “recession chic” movement in retail. “A host of discount brands kneel graciously at the feet of recession and position their products and services not only as the smart thing to do, but the posh one.”

Grant Barrett, a lexicographer who specializes in new words and slang, said the word is being used to give Americans an excuse to buy more stuff.

“It’s kind of permitting consumers to have justification for their spending habits,” he said. Mr. Barrett included “recessionista” as an up-and-coming catchphrase earlier this month on his Web site, DoubleTongued.org. “The idea is, because they are spending less or getting more value, it is still O.K. to shop,” he said in a recent phone interview. “It’s a very self-serving message.”

“Recession chic” is yet another in a long line of terms created by fashion writers who have an affinity for the suffix “chic”: hippie chic, Seventies chic, tribal chic, military chic, geek chic, Camilla chic, rehab chic, eco chic.

Back in February, the headline “Recession Chic” topped an article in The Times of London by Lisa Armstrong, the newspaper’s fashion critic, who noted a return to tailored dressing among businesswomen. In April, the same headline accompanied a piece by Kate Betts in Time magazine that described the new somber collections of fashion designers.

“Come fall, fashion will follow the downward spiral of home values and investment portfolios, as designers embrace restraint with a dark palette and severe silhouette,” Ms. Betts wrote.

For recession chic to become a trend, however, the stigma of profligacy associated with shopping for clothing in an uncertain economy would have to be played down.

Style.com, the Web site of Vogue magazine, has declared passé the free-spending fashionista of the type lionized in “Sex and the City.” In her stead, the Web site fashioned a new icon for the new austerity, a plucky heroine able to fixate on designer logos even at a time when her house might face foreclosure.

Derek Blasberg wrote this summer on style.com: “You should know that while the fashionista may have locked herself in the vault with her tiaras, her younger, hipper sister — recessionista — is at the mall finding designer threads (or diffusion designer threads) at discount prices. Look for her at Target, Uniqlo, Payless or Kohl’s, all of whom have inked deals with designers recently. That’s because recessionistas aren’t letting a little thing like falling stock prices and rising gas bills get in the way of their wardrobe.”

The nomenclature may be new. The idea of moving merchandise in a tough climate is not.

A Sears catalog from 1930 at the beginning of the Great Depression offered “coats of the new mode in the spirit of smart economy” priced to sell at $9.75 to $25. Phrases like “be smart and thrifty” and “look at the chic economy” promoted dresses that cost $4.98 to $8.98.

In the wake of the stock market crash of 1987, designers began to offer less-expensive second lines. In 1989, for example, Donna Karan introduced DKNY.

Certainly, the word “recessionista” has its roots in economic hardship. Finance executives first used the term to connote a person predicting a recession or a person who believes a recession would benefit the long-term health of the economy, according to lexicographers.

But, over the last six months, publicists, retailers and even a few consumers have refashioned the word that rhymes with fashionista.

“It’s a sound-alike word,” said Paul McFedries, the proprietor of an on-line dictionary of catch-phrases called wordspy.com, which added “recessionista” to its lexicon in July. While it may seem inane to make use of a weighty word like “recession” to form a playful neologism that embraces shopping, people are using it because it is fun to pronounce, he said. “If you are a grammar pedant, you are going to lose a lot of the joy of the language.”

Ms. Hall of therecessionista.blogspot.com said her friends like the word so much they have nicknamed her Recessionista. “It is more lighthearted to say ‘I am the Recessionista, and I don’t really go for that,’ instead of saying ‘I can’t afford that or I don’t want to spend the money,’ ” Ms. Hall said. “The ‘ista’ on the end there, it gives it a little touch of the bling, I think.”

Indeed, “recessionista” carries an upbeat tone that recalls an earlier credit crisis neologism: “staycation,” a euphemism for spending one’s vacation at home. Similar terminology — “frugal chic,” “recession-proof dressing,” going on a “spending fast” — with more negative connotations has not caught on among consumers or the fashion world.

Mr. McFedries said the word is a more encouraging term than phrases like “conspicuous austerity” or “inconspicuous consumption.”

Publicists “want to come up with a word or phrase that makes things seem not as bad as they are,” Mr. McFedries said.

He added: “You’ve got to put a positive spin on it because you have to get people to spend money when they don’t want to on an optional purchase.”

But recessionista may not be the final incarnation of a style hound on the scent of designer discounts.

In the event that the economy worsens, make way for the depressionista.

Lingerie sexyyyy

La Senza sortira une collection en collaboration avec Robyn Antin, la femme derrière les Pussycat Dolls...

Pussycats Dolls font la conquête de La Senza!

Les Pussycat Dolls, les reines incontestées du monde de la musique pop, dévoileront bientôt leur conception du glamour dans les boutiques La Senza du Canada. Dans le cadre d'une entente exclusive, le célèbre groupe de musique primé fera équipe avec le chef de file de la lingerie au Canada pour présenter sa collection de lingerie, "Shhh...by Robin Antin" cet automne.

Selon Robin Antin, "A l'intérieur de chaque femme, se cache une Pussycat Doll." Dorénavant, chacune d'elle pourra laisser libre cours à cette facette d'elle-même, grâce à cette nouvelle collection emballante. La collection "Shhh...by Robin Antin" des Pussycat Dolls sera lancée mondialement, et dévoilée aux canadiens et canadiennes à la fin du mois d'octobre 2008. Elle sera vendue en exclusivité dans les 150 boutiques La Senza du Canada, ainsi que sur le site de commerce électronique de La Senza.

Lancée pendant la semaine de la mode de Los Angeles en mars 2008 et couronnée par les critiques, la collection de lingerie "Shhh...by Robin Antin" met en vedette des modèles hyper tendance fabriqués à partir de tissus somptueux importés d'Italie et d'Espagne. La collection présente une silhouette rétro revampée avec des styles allant de la lolita aguichante à la femme glamour brûlante et passionnée.

La collection sport coquine est caractérisée par une gamme de détails accrocheurs qui comprend des boucles féminines, des rayures et des imprimés branchés, des jolies découpes et des jarretelles amovibles dans des thèmes allant de l'audace féminine à l'esprit gamine. Un thème nautique propose d'adorables soutiens-gorge et d'espiègles culottes, tandis que le "Lipstick Vintage" met l'accent sur des corsets aguichants ainsi que des soutiens-gorge et des culottes à volants offerts dans une exquise palette de rose et de noir. Le thème "Revolution Doll" évoque, quant à lui, la partie ultra coquette nichée en chaque femme, avec des soutiens-gorge et des culottes en tulle froncé. Pour celles à la recherche d'un modèle plus frappant, la collection "Tart" mélange à merveille les rayures noires et blanches à des touches saisissantes de couleurs contrastantes, comme le bleu, le rouge et le jaune.

MODE D'HIVER

Un hiver de style Louise Labrecque, collaboration spéciale La Presse

Ça y est! Il est temps de passer en mode «oignon». Vite, enfilons les lainages, doudounes, tuques, foulards, mitaines et bottes doublées! Le vent froid souffle déjà. Mais est-il possible d'être joliment habillée et de ne pas geler?

Rudsak

Photo: André Pichette, La Presse

Impossible d'y échapper. L'hiver, avec son lot de neige de gadoue de blizzard, est à notre porte. Mais aujourd'hui, plus besoin de se transformer en bonhomme Michelin pour s

e garantir un brin de chaleur. Car cette saison, les créateurs adoucissent les formes volumineuses et encombrantes. Ils empruntent au vestiaire sportif les technologies thermales et les intègrent à la mode. Résultat: des manteaux plus légers, plus minces et surtout plus chauds.

D'ailleurs, les manteaux matelassés - qu'on appelle communément doudounes - sont du dernier cri. Vous remarquerez néanmoins que la coupe de l'hiver 2008-2009 se veut plus étroite et plus flatteuse que par le passé. «Il y a quelques saisons, on offrait un look chaleur. Mais aujourd'hui, on peut raffiner et féminiser les coupes, sans négliger l'aspect thermogénique du vêtement», explique Eran Elfassi, créateur et fondateur de la griffe de manteaux Mackage.

Les épaules et la taille des manteaux matelassés épousent donc la silhouette tandis que les manches se gonflent aux poignets afin de styliser le tout. Cette silhouette féminine se démarque également dans les matières tissées. La taille se plisse et

devient jupe. Le col s'arrondit en forme Claudine. Ou s'élève bien droit à la Claude Montana. À retenir: la cape, la canadienne et le caban.

Selon M. Elfassi, l'une des grandes tendances de l'hiver et des saisons à venir est certainement celle du cuir. «Cette matière est de retour après plusieurs années d'absence. La demande est là et je sens sa remontée. Surtout en Europe. Je m'attends donc à ce que le cuir fasse sensation l'automne prochain.» Avis aux fashionistas: sortez vos manteaux de cuir, vous serez à l'avant-garde!

Pour les frileuses, le duvet et son homonyme synthétique en polyamide, sont certainement les isolants les plus chauds, dit Hilary Radley, de la griffe du même nom. Reconnue pour ses manteaux de haute qualité, cette créatrice précise qu'il est important de bien évaluer ses besoins avant de courir les magasins. Voulez-vous un manteau pour marcher, faire le pied de grue dans la neige ou passer de votre garage au stationnement du bureau?

Hilary Radley

Le manteau de laine demeure néanmoins le plus populaire. Noah Stern, président de Levy Canada Fashion Company, manufacturier québécois de manteaux, précise que la laine est le meilleur achat qui soit. «Les gens avaient délaissé la laine il y a trois ans environ. Mais les technologies ont fait évoluer les tissages les rendant plus souples, légers et faciles à porter», dit-il.Très chaude, la laine adopte cette saison des couleurs vives, dont le mauve et le rouge. Les tartans, pieds-de-poule et autres carreaux ont également la cote.

Conseils de pros

Pour vous aider à choisir le manteau qui vous gardera au chaud, voici les conseils des experts.

Si l'on doit s'acheter un manteau passe-partout, quelle coupe devrait-on choisir?

«Le trench-coat est LE manteau à avoir. Et cette saison, en plus, il est très populaire dans les grandes capitales de la mode comme Paris et New York. Avec son col tailleur, sa ceinture et ses poches appliquées, c'est le meilleur achat que l'on puisse faire. C'est un classique, un indémodable. On peut le choisir en laine ou en coton doublé. L'important, c'est la coupe», dit Noah Stern.

Comment s'assurer qu'un manteau nous gardera au chaud?

«Il ne faut pas se fier au poids du manteau pour évaluer ses qualités thermales. Lourdeur et épaisseur ne sont plus synonymes de chaleur. Aujourd'hui, les manufacturiers adaptent à la mode les technologies éprouvées dans le domaine sportif. Le duvet demeure néanmoins l'isolant le plus chaud, s'il demeure au sec. La laine - alpaga et cachemire - est également un gage de chaleur», explique Hilary Radley.

Et comment reconnaître la qualité d'un duvet?

«Il faut tâter les plumes. Certains manufacturiers ajoutent au duvet, des plumes robustes afin d'amoindrir le coût. Malheureusement, celles-ci sont souvent tranchantes. Elles percent le tissu et s'en échappent, à moins que le tissu soit tissé extrêmement serré ou muni d'une membrane. Les plumes doivent aussi être insérées dans des pochettes séparées. On évite ainsi qu'elles se tassent aux extrémités du manteau», dit Mme Radley.

Est-ce que le prix du manteau est un indice de qualité?

«Non. Il faut regarder la confection intérieure et lire les étiquettes. Ce qu'il faut: un pourcentage élevé de laine pour la chaleur (70%) et un peu de cachemire ou d'alpaga pour la douceur et le luxe du manteau. Ensuite, on ajoute un léger pourcentage de polyamide (nylon). Cette fibre synthétique permet de fixer la laine. Elle donne de la durabilité à l'étoffe. Elle évite que la laine bouloche et s'étire. À éviter: l'acrylique. Même si la texture est agréable au toucher, cette fibre n'est pas chaude. Elle s'use et bouloche rapidement», explique Eran Elfassi.

Les sacs de la saison

Les designers allègent nos épaules et mettent de l'avant le sac de petit format. Ressortez donc vos pochettes et sacs baluchons. Toutefois, ne remisez pas vos sacs surdimensionnés. Ils sont toujours du dernier cri. Bonne ou mauvaise nouvelle: le sac à dos fait son retour. Oserez-vous le porter?

Les chapeaux de la saison

Les chapeaux font tourner les têtes! Leurs formes? Cloches, bérets de toutes sortes, chapeaux d'homme, larges capelines. Vous avez un faible pour les plumes? Tant mieux, car elles garnissent les couvre-chefs de nombreux créateurs. Et si vous préférez la tuque, portez-la bien haut sur la tête à la cone head!

Adresses

ABS : en vente chez La Baie et en boutiques spécialisées, 514-908-0104/

Aquatalia par Malvin K : 1-888-932-7463, www.aquatalia.com /

Benetton : Centre Rockland 514-737-7951, Centre Eaton 514-288-3708/

Browns : www.brownsshoes.com /

Helmer : 514-448-1597, www.helmerjoseph.com /

Hilary Radley : / 514-272-7221, www.hilaryradley.com /

La Baie : dans tous ses magasins /

La Canadienne : 273, LaurierOuest 514-270-8008, www.lacanadienne.ca/

Laudry : chez La Baie et en boutiques spécialisées, 514-908-0104/

Mackage: 514-388-5287, mackage.com /

Ogilvy:514-842-771 /

Rudsak : dans tous ses magasins /

Soïa&Kyo : 514-388-5287, Soiakyo.com.

The Route to the Right Boot

The Route to the Right Boot

Reine Gammo

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly As the winter season approaches, boots are already coming out of the closet. Even though I think it is slightly early to be wearing them, some boots I’ve seen need not be worn in any season, at any time. Here are some of the boots that are good, some that are bad and some that are just plain ugly.

The Good - Knee High Leather Boots A good pair of knee high leather boots can go with everything. Leather is better than synthetic materials as it will not make your feet sweat and yet will retain heat and keep your feet warm. They will also be easier to clean and will last longer than any other material. Knee length is very flattering as it can elongate your appearance as well as enhance certain outfits. For example, they look great with coats that cut off slightly above the knee. Photo: overstock.com

Leather Alternative However, for the people who are against leather, you can try pleather (short for plastic leather). But make sure it has a supple texture as well as an authentic look. Some pleather boots look a little too much like plastic: mainly, the synthetic patent ones. These will go on the bad list! Photo: www.alternativeoutfitters.com< /i>

The Good - Suede Boots Suede is a great looking material. It looks especially good in brown shades, like dark brown, cognac and tan. Suede is tricky however, because some suede boots are not made for extreme winter. Suede doesn’t handle snow well. It becomes discoloured and the material starts fading and loses its soft texture and smooth appearance. Also, some of these boots were not made to keep your feet warm; they were primarily made to look good. So be wary of that when you’re shopping for new boots. If you want them for everyday use in wintertime, you might want to avoid suede and go for leather. Photo: Zappos.com

The Good - Detailed Design To add spice to your boots, a nice detailed design can go a long way. You can be wearing the most mundane outfit and these boots would spice it up. These designs vary from buckles to studs to ribbons and detailed stitching. However, avoid boots that are trying too hard. For example, don’t get boots that have more than one kind of design on them, because that will make the boots look too cluttered and would also be hard to match with outfits without looking like you’re clashing. Photo: Marc Jacobs

The Good - The Colour of the Season Purple is the new black this season. Purple boots can add spice to a lot of your outfits; just make sure it’s the right shade. A dark purple on slouchy, mid-calf suede boots is a great addition to your shoe collection this season. Photo: Zappos.com

The Bad - Rubber Fishing Boots The fascination with these boots still eludes me. The only reason to wear them is if you’re going fishing or maybe looking for worms in a muddy swamp. What makes them even worse is that they come in colours that are too bright for winter as well as patterns that are completely hideous and don’t match anything else. So I repeat, unless you’re a fisherman (or fisherwoman), I advise you to stay away from these boots. Photo: www.palm-intl.com

The Bad - UGGs I can’t seem to stress this enough: UGGs are a disgrace to fashion. I have been at the receiving end of many rants about how comfortable and warm they are, but there are better alternatives to these atrocious sins of fashion. They do not look good, they do not look dressy and they do not match everything. They creep up everywhere and are matched with everything from short mini-skirts to leggings. I’ve actually witnessed them being worn during the scorching days of summer and my question is: WHY? They are an old fad that should have died out by now, so if you still own a pair, I suggest putting them out of their misery and hiding them in the dark corners of your closet.

The Ugly - Furry Boots I think there is something profoundly wrong if you can wear these without minding that you look like you have dead animals on your feet. These boots look especially hideous when they get dirty in winter with the dirty snow. If you want to wear these, you might want to move to the North Pole where you can blend right in with the furry animals. What could be worse than furry boots? Pink (and other similarly hideously coloured) furry boots! So if you see them in a store, call PETA and run away. Photo: www.kaboodle.com

The Ugly - Florescent Colours Yes, they do exist. I find it hard to believe that someone could actually design something like this, but it has been done. Florescent shoes should not exist, let alone in wintertime. The winter is about dimmed colours. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t wear colours, just as long as you don’t glow along with the snow. Be aware of which colours are good for each season and which colours need not be worn in any season. Photo: blog.theshoegoddess.com

Time to Reboot To get you started on the right path to the right pair of boots, keep these three simple things in mind the next time you go shopping for new boots: comfort, warmth and practicality…and, of course, stylish to boot.