Page 3
What morals? Mexican lawmaker poses almost nude in magazine
MEXICO CITY - A Mexico City lawmaker known for outrageous behavior has again shocked his colleagues, this time by posing nearly naked in a political magazine.
The two-page photograph shows Francisco Solis — all 320 pounds (144 kilograms) of him — holding a glass of champagne and leaning back against a bar.
Solis is wearing only the logo of his conservative National Action Party as a fig leaf. The lawmaker compares his party to his body, saying both need to slim down.
"I think there is too much party bureaucracy, and that's just like my belly, which eats many calories that get stuck there," he says in this week's edition of Cambio magazine.
In a furor widely covered in the local media, politicians criticized the photo session as irresponsible and shameful.
President Vicente Fox, a fellow National Action member, called for Solis' expulsion from the city legislature. The party chief said he should be thrown out of the party.
6/12 See
us at the following upcoming shows
Jan. 6-10, New York Market
Spring/Summer
neal@mcpeteinc.com
Jan.12-15. -New England Apparel Club.Marlboro, Mass.
info@shirleyofhollywood.com
Jan 17-21 Los Angeles Fashion Week, Los Angeles
info@shirleyofhollywood.com
Jan 17-20 Denver Women And Children's Apparel
info@denvermart.com
Jan. 19-31, The Orlando Int'l Lingerie
Show
www.spectrade.com
Jan 19-21 Minneapolis Women's Apparel Market
northstarfashion@aol.com
Jan. 23-27 Dallas Apparel Market
rickbtx@attbi.com
Jan. 24-27, Salon International
d'Lingerie 2003, Paris
lingerie-paris@la-federation.com
Jan
24-28, Chicago Women's Wear
info@shirleyofhollywood.com
Jan 30-Feb 2, Atlanta, Ga. Women's Wear Show
info@shirleyofhollywood.com
Caftans Go High-Style
the West was turned the Caftan into an item of dress that hasn't been fashionable since a bejeweled Liz Taylor swooned around in one at Hollywood parties in the '60s and '70s.
Of course, what's seasonally fashionable on the runways of New York, Milan and Paris is sometimes a staple item of dress elsewhere. As is with the dhoti pant, the caftan has too become chic, a traditional item of clothing that dresses a large part of the Arab world every day.
To keep current with the trend, Middle-Eastern fashion retail supremo Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah, owner of Kuwait's designer shopping emporium Villa Moda, has commissioned a selection of international designers to produce a range of caftans for the fledgling store.
On a month-by-month basis, such fashion houses as Marni, Fendi, Roberto Cavalli, Missoni and Dolce & Gabbana, will have its caftan designs displayed and on sale in a specially dedicated space in the store. First up is Prada.
Fittingly Prada, the collection is a mixture of clever styles and retro-lite looks all done with a light and luxurious hand. From short 'day' caftans with contrasting satin duchesse necklines and cuffs to more traditional caftans detailed with Chinese-inspired braided loops, the range touches on identifiable Prada signatures and reinvents them with a new attitude.
Prada's evening caftans take on a more couture aspect with sheared mink applications, feathers, Swarovski crystals, gazar with organza flower embroidery, or floral-printed satin weighed down with mother-of-pearl tablets.
7/12
See us at the Following
Show
Jan.19-21 Orlando Lingerie Show
Water Polo!!
Clothing giant Polo Ralph Lauren has signed a global licensing deal with Apparel Ventures Inc to manufacture and distribute women's and girl's swimwear under brands including Ralph Lauren Collection and Ralph Lauren Sport.
The company said the deal will start in July and follows the expiration of the term of the women's and girl's swimwear license held by Authentic Fitness Corporation since 1998. Financial terms were not disclosed.
"This new licensing relationship will allow us to capitalise on our combined strengths - Polo Ralph Lauren's creativity and design expertise, and AVI's ability to consistently manufacture and distribute quality fashion swimwear," said Douglas Williams, group president, Polo Ralph Lauren.
He added swimwear made by the California-based company will be available at Ralph Lauren stores as well as better specialty and department stores.
'Lift Fatwa,' Miss World Urges Nigeria State
LONDON - The British-based Miss World organization is to campaign for the overturning of a fatwa, or religious edict, ordering the death of a Nigerian journalist whose article on the pageant sparked deadly riots.
"My next aim is to ask the Muslims to forgive her in that area where they rioted," Julia Morley, who heads the Miss World Organization, told Reuters after Saturday's controversy-dogged 2002 competition ended in London.
"This is the time now to say 'well, look, don't persecute her. She said sorry, forgive her'," Morley said.
This year's Miss World contest had been scheduled to be held in Nigeria on Saturday.
But the beauty queens fled for Britain after an article by Isioma Daniel, a female journalist in her early 20s, touched off Muslim-Christian riots in the northern city of Kaduna, killing more than 200 people.
Daniel, who has fled Nigeria, incensed Muslims by writing in ThisDay newspaper that the Prophet Mohammad would have approved of Miss World and might have taken one of the beauty queens as his bride. The Kaduna office of ThisDay was razed by Muslim youths at the start of the riots on November 20.
The conservative Zamfara state then evoked the Sharia Islamic penal code to issue a fatwa, standing firm despite the opposition of Nigeria's two main Islamic bodies.
"It was one young journalist who made a sad remark. You have to forgive her," Morley said in an interview at London's Alexandra Palace venue. "The editor's already been arrested."
Photo: Turkey's Miss World contestant Azra Akin is crowned Miss
World 2002 at Alexandra Palace in London December 7, 2002. Akin beat Miss
Columbia Natalia Peralta and Miss Peru Marina Mora Montero who came second
and third respectively.
La Perla, the Bologna-based brand renowned for its va-va-voom, pricey lingerie, has announced the appointment of Alessandro Dell'Acqua as the new designer for its fledgling ready-to-wear line.
The news comes nearly one year after the lingerie label first launched its ready-to- wear collection. At that time, President Alberto Masotti, whose family has owned the luxury brand since its inception in 1954, explained his desire to expand upon the company's core capacity of intimate apparel, which includes lingerie, hosiery, swimwear and sleepwear. Masotti appointed Icelandic designer Steinunn Sigurd, an alum of both Calvin Klein and Gucci, to design the new collection. Her contract was reportedly for a three-year period. A La Perla spokeswoman declined to comment on the earlier than anticipated departure. Sigurd launched her own cashmere and wool knitwear collection this fall, backed by White + Warren.
The arrival of Dell'Acqua at La Perla is creating a positive stir. "The great trust we are placing in this team is motivated by the particular creative harmony established with designer Alessandro Dell'Acqua," the company said in a statement.
The Napolitano designer is certainly a logical choice for La Perla's sensibility and heritage. His own ready-to-wear collections, creative studies in post-lingerie functionality, feature frothy chiffon, delicate lace and drapey satin slashed into barely-there ensembles that still manage to be decent for public exposure.
Dell'Acqua's new designs for La Perla will debut with the Fall-Winter 2003 collection. His design efforts will be supported by a newly assembled management team, headed by Olga Masotti (wife of Alberto) and daughter Anna Masotti.
From the Baby Phat
Spring Summer 2003 show
Roberto Cavalli's underwear
Spring/Summer 2003, in Milan
September 26, 2002.
"Mulberry Gets Merry,"
A block party movement is afoot in lower Manhattan. First, the newly formed Wooster Street Neighbors hosted its first-annual Oktoberfest event, with retailers along the Soho strip offering discounts, refreshments, even go-go dancers, to lure shoppers. Now, Nolita's getting in on the action with "Mulberry Gets Merry," a series of holiday shopping evenings hosted by Mulberry Street retailers on the first three Thursdays in December, starting today.
The festive collaboration was spearheaded by one of the new kids on the block, modern Vietnamese style shop Saigoniste, which just opened its doors November 1.
"We felt like the area itself needs a little bit of banding together of the merchants to help make it a bit more of a destination... to raise the profile of the street," explained Saigoniste co-owner Hugh Duthie. "And so many new stores have opened in the last few weeks." Femmegems and Objets du Desir, also participating in this month's trio of Thursday fetes, opened on the same day as Saigoniste.
In honor of "Mulberry Gets Merry," retailers will keep their doors open until 9pm and will offer incentives that include ingestible treats, like champagne (at Language), rum punch (at Malia Mills Swimwear), wine (at Eva, Objets du Desir, and Scrips Elixirs), Tiger Beer (at Saigoniste), and Magnolia Bakery cupcakes (at Lisa Shaub), as well as monetary goodies, including up to 30 percent off at Baby be Good and Smaak and a 15 percent discount (excluding fine jewelry) at Language.
Most every outlet on the street has signed on, save the chains - like Miss Sixty and Ralph Lauren - that had a lot more red tape to cut through. But that's okay by Duthie. "Nolita's all about the one-off boutiques," he said.
An
escaped convict broke into a house and tied up a young couple who had
been sleeping in the bedroom.
As soon as he had a chance, the husband turned to his voluptuous young
wife, bound up on the bed in a skimpy night-gown, and whispered,
"Honey, this guy hasn't seen a woman in years.
Just co-operate with anything he wants.
If he wants to have sex with you, just go along with it and pretend you
like it.
Our lives depend on it." "Dear," the wife hissed,
spitting out her gag, "I'm so relieved you feel that way, because
he just told me he thinks you are really cute!"
"Ask Andy"
Andy Weinstock has been in the fabric and textile business all his life, but
professionally since 1969.
"I love what I do, selling fabrics around the globe. I've met lots of interesting, creative, dynamic
folks; some have become dear friends. I love to help new businesses find the things they need to become successful. It works for everyone."
You can ask Andy questions about Fabrics at
Andy@mcpetesez.com
The "Ask Andy" Column is an opinion Column and may
not necessarily reflect the views of
McPete Sez
Hey Sales Reps !!!
Would you like to write an article for this newsletter? we are
looking 
for information for our readers and if you have anything to
contribute please e-mail me.
End of page 3
