M By Mariah

M By Mariah

The debut fragrance from recording superstar Mariah Carey. An ethereal presence, captivating like a song, Mariah's signature scent is a harmonious marriage of velvety sensual notes overlaid with the floral texture of Tahitian Tiare flower. This beautifully feminine fragrance will linger in your mind like a timeless melody.

Notes:

Warm Marshmallow Accord, Gardenia Petals, Tahitian Tiare Flower, Sheer Amber, Moroccan Incense.

Style:

Sensual. Glamorous. Confident.

Prices:

50ml eau de parfum $69.00 AUD
100ml eau de parfum $89.00 AUD

Chanel N° 5

Chanel N° 5

Share the fantasy.

"I want to give women an artificial perfume," said Chanel. "Yes, I really do mean artificial, like a dress, something that has been made. I don't want any rose or lily of the valley, I want a perfume that is a composition." For the first time, large quantities of aldehydes, synthetic substances, were used in perfume to lighten the heady flower notes and to raise their sensuality toward refined seduction.

It is said that Ernest Beaux found the olfactory inspiration for N°5 around 1920, on his return from a military campaign that had taken him inside the Arctic Circle. During the midnight sun, the lakes and the rivers give off a very special fresh fragrance, which the perfumer was determined to recreate.

In an interview given at the airport in Japan, Marilyn Monroe told a reporter that all she wore in bed was a few drops of N°5. The anecdote played a large part in sustaining the legendary reputation of the fragrance.

N°5 is immortalized as an icon of the 20th century in a series of nine silkscreen prints by Andy Warhol. In 1959, the packaging secured a place for N°5 in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Notes:

Aldehydic floral. A bouquet of abstract flowers with an indefinable femininity.

Launches with bewitching notes of Ylang-Ylang and Neroli, then unfolds with Grasse Jasmine and May Rose. Sandalwood and Vanilla round out the fabled composition with unforgettable woody notes.

Style:

Chanels design house introduced Chanel N° 5 in 1921 it is a subtle, sophisticated, floral fragrance

Prices:

50ml eau de toilette $110.00 AUD
75ml eau de toilette $120.00 AUD
100ml eau de toilette $145.00 AUD

Princess

Princess

Created for the playful, unpredictable, independent woman who treats every day like an event and adventure. This is a woman who likes to make her own magic, this sheer, flirty blend of water lily, lady apple, mandarin meringue, and golden apricot skin are melded with sheer floral notes, accented with dark chocolate, and finished with a pink frosting accord, amber, warm woods, musk, and vanilla - a whimsical treat.

Notes:

Top notes: waterlilly, lady apple, mandarin meringue and golden apricot skin
Middle notes: Ripe pink guava, Tahitian tiare flower, wild tuberose and dark chocolate
Base notes: pink frosting accord, precious amber, forbidden woods, royal musk captive and chiffon vanilla

Style:

Sheer. Tropical. Delectable.

Prices:

5ml eau de parfum $13.95 AUD
50ml eau de parfum $80.00 AUD
100ml eau de parfum $110.00AUD

L L.A.M.B.

L L.A.M.B. Fragrance By Gwen Stefani

Introducing L, the first L.A.M.B. fragrance by Gwen Stefani. Gwen's iconic style goes beyond music, beyond fashion, beyond boundaries. The L stands for Love, the first letter of her L.A.M.B clothing and accessories collection. Her signature fragrance is a fusion of feminine and masculine, with a luscious floral scent that bursts with sparkling freshness, then wraps you in the warmth of sensual musks. The packaging reflects all the things Gwen loves, by utilizing the Rasta colors red, yellow, and green, plus turquoise, white, and black stripes. This is truly a glamorous, sexy signature scent that is pure Gwen.

Notes:

Fresh Green Notes, Water Hyacinth, White Freesia, Fresh Pear, Violet Leaves, Jasmine Petals, Rose, Muget, Sweet Pea, Orange Blossom, Heliotrope Flower, Sensual Musk, Frangipani Blossom, Peach Skin.

Style:

Unique. Powerful. Cool.

Prices:

50ml eau de parfum $90 AUD
100ml eau de parfum $120 AUD

Adidas

The Label

For over 80 years Adidas has been part of the world of sports on every level, delivering state-of-the-art sports footwear, apparel and accessories. Adidas strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry with sports brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. Adidas continuously improve the quality, look, feel and image of their products to match and exceed consumer expectations and to provide them with the highest value. They are innovation and design leaders who seek to help athletes of all skill levels achieve peak performance with every product they bring to the market. Today Adidas has become an icon in the fashion world as well, and a recognizable part of pop culture.

Official Website

www.adidas.com/

Nike

The Label

When legendary University of Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman shook hands with entrepreneur and college runner Phil Knight, the sleepy town of Eugene, Oregon, would inevitably become the home of Nike, Inc. Bowerman is credited with creating the first lightweight outsole shoe from some latex, leather, glue and his wife’s waffle iron. He and Knight each put up $500 and made and sold 330 pairs of the shoes. From those early successes, Nike was born.

From that first waffle outsole to performance apparel technologies such as Nike Dri-FIT and Nike Sphere React and the innovative design concept of Nike Free, Nike has continued to push boundaries of innovation and inspire athletes around the globe for more than 30 years.

Official Website

www.nike.com

Yves St. Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent

The Label

The Yves Saint Laurent and Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche brands seem to be recovering from an identity crisis that began in 1999, when the luxury label was first purchased by Gucci for $900 million and design direction taken over by super slick Tom Ford. Yves Saint Laurent, who retired in 2002, changed the way women dressed when he launched his label in 1962. He put them in mannish pant-suits with square shoulders, smoking jackets, safari jackets, and tuxedos, but softened the androgyny with billowy peasant blouses and fitted, flouncy couture gowns in dramatic colors. New designer Stefano Pilati is bringing it all back home, returning to those YSL classics and making them staples of the eveningwear and ready-to-wear collection.

The Look

Sexpot in a power suit. Trust-fund bohemian. Red-carpet diva.

The Designer

The current designer is Stefano Pilati, formerly Tom Ford’s chief deputy of the YSL Rive Gauche ready-to-wear collection, and a designer for Miu Miu and Giorgio Armani prior to that. While Saint Laurent kept hold of the couture reins until his retirement in 2002, Tom Ford most recently oversaw design for ready-to-wear. Ford replaced Alber Elbaz, who is now creative director of Lanvin.

Who Wears It

Everyone from long-standing fans like YSL muse Betty Catroux and Catherine Deneuve, to actresses like Renee Zellweger and Chloe Sevigny.

Official Website

yslonline.com

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto

The Label

Yohji Yamamoto is the most playful of the highly respected Japanese design triumvirate that also includes Issey Miyake and Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo. Never conventionally sexy or trendy, Yamamoto appeals to clients who appreciate wit, romance, and the history of fashion; his clothes are full of allusions, and he’s as capable of dropping a reference to an Edwardian tea dress in a track suit. Although his palette is somber, he’s never funereal; there’s too much joie de vivre in the floppy, flowing, sensual fabrics to bring down the mood.

The Look

Sculptural, intriguing, often oversize. While black is far and away his predominant color, Yamamoto occasionally throw in zingers like the hot-pink-and-fuchsia coat dress tied with organza that opened his fall 2006 collection.

The Designer

Yamamoto was born in Tokyo in 1943 and studied law before attending the prestigious Bunkafukuso Gakuin design school. He presented his first womenswear collection in 1972 in Tokyo under the name Y’s, and he brought out a higher-priced signature label nine years later in Paris. He had several fragrances as part of his deal with Procter & Gamble. His partnership with Adidas, which started with the fall 2002 women’s collection, created the Y-3 label in 2003, one of the first and most successful of the designer-activewear marriages. In summer 2006, he signed a deal to design luggage and accessories for Italian luggage specialist Mandarina Duck, under the label Y’s Mandarina.

In addition to the admiration of his peers (Donna Karan wears Yamamoto), he’s has acquired numerous awards. He’s the only Japanese designer to receive France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres. Not only does Yamamoto dress a large chunk of the international arts community, he’s also collaborated on film projects with Wim Wenders, Takeshi Kitano, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, and done costumes for the Pina Bausch Company and Wagner’s Opera “Tristan and Isolde” in Bayreuth.

Official Website

yohjiyamamoto.co.jp

Y-3

Yohji Yamamoto

The Label

Not a lot of athletic-apparel companies would let an avant-garde Japanese designer get in the way of their drive toward the bottom-line mainstream, but the collaboration between Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas has proved itself critically and commercially and inspired similar matchups (Adidas also has a line with Stella McCartney, and Alexander McQueen has done pieces for Puma). From its first collection, spring 2003, Y-3 was meant to be a real business for both sides, not a vanity project. Adidas shows it on the runway every season (at first in Paris but more recently in New York). A voluminous skirt or a distressed gray-jacket might seem an odd thing to find on the sales floor at a store attached to a sports brand, but Y-3 is doing well enough that accessories have been added and freestanding stores are starting to appear around the world (although none in New York, as of fall 2006).

The Look

Yamamoto, ever a fan of convenience (his clothes always have generous pockets, a rarity in the not always practical fashion world) and new fabric technology, takes the basics of athleticwear, like tank tops, warm-up jackets, and sweatpants, and amplifies them with new proportions and colors.

The Designer

Yamamoto was born in Tokyo in 1943 and studied law before attending the prestigious Bunka Fukuso Gakuin design school. He presented his first womenswear collection in 1972 in Paris under the name Y’s, and he brought out a higher-priced signature label nine years later. He has several fragrances as part of his deal with Procter & Gamble, and his 2003 partnership with Adidas created the Y-3 label, one of the first and most successful of the designer-activewear marriages. In summer 2006, he signed a deal to design luggage and accessories for Italian luggage specialist Mandarina Duck, and his chief executive Keizo Tamoto wants to expand Yamamoto’s +Noir sportswear line and accessories.

In addition to the admiration of his peers (Donna Karan wears Yamamoto), he’s has acquired numerous awards. He’s the only Japanese designer to receive France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres. Not only does Yamamoto dress a large chunk of the international arts community, he’s also collaborated on film projects with Wim Wenders, Takeshi Kitano, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, and done costumes for the Pina Bausch Company and the Wagner Opera.

Official Website

adidas.com/y-3

Vera Wang

The Label

Vera Wang opened her salon at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City in 1990 to showcase her bridal collection. The idea emerged from Wang's frustration in bridal fashion when she'd planned for her own wedding the year before. Feeling the industry was steeped in too much tradition and not enough sophistication, Wang saw an opportunity. Today, Wang's vision has expanded to footwear, fragrance, eyewear, and home furnishings.

The Look

The Vera Wang name is synonymous with elegant, understated gowns constructed from the finest fabrics.

The Designer

A veteran of Vogue, where she was senior fashion editor for 16 years, Wang was lucky to have the ear of the world's top fashion designers when she opened her salon. Wang also served as a design director for Ralph Lauren.

Official Website

verawang.com

Versace

Gianni Versace

The Label

There is never anything understated about Versace. The Italian brand, founded by late fashion designer Gianni Versace in 1978, is all about grandiose sexiness and decadent European-style glamour, not to mention an irreverent rock-star attitude. Think of Elizabeth Hurley in the mid-1990s in that tight black Versace gown held together rather precariously—and revealingly—with nothing but safety pins down the sides. The design reigns were taken over by Gianni's sister, Donatella Versace, after her brother was murdered in Miami Beach in 1997. Donatella has maintained the label's aesthetic—electric colors, sensuous fabrics, and clingy silhouettes for a bold, raw sexiness. The men's collection—which was launched first—has a similar quality, with slim, sharp cuts and a reverence for the styles of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Look

King and Queen of the European disco scene. Screen vixen eating up the red carpet.

The Designer

Gianni Versace created the collection and the Versace aesthetic.

Who Wears It

Brad Pitt, Jamie Foxx, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Madonna, Kate Hudson, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez

Official Website

www.versace.com

Donatella Versace

Valentino

The Label

Valentino is a master of elegance and opulence. In business since 1960, the Italian designer made his mark early on creating luxurious gowns with intricate detailing and tastefully body-conscious silhouettes. The fabrics tend to be both delicate and rich—laces, chiffons, and silk crepe, along with wool, leather, and suede. Valentino has long been popular among European royalty, American socialites, and celebrities. While his new creations get a great deal of attention—and requests, especially around red-carpet time—many also collect his vintage dresses, like the black gown with white piping Julia Roberts wore to accept her Oscar in 2001. The menswear collection is known for sharp, classic tailoring.

The Look

Jet set. Distinctively sexy and beautiful. You can never be too rich or too thin.

The Designer

It’s been Valentino all along.

Who Wears It

Valentino has been popular with famous, well-dressed women for more than four decades, including Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Watts, Claire Danes, Gwen Stefani, Lindsay Lohan, and Gwenyth Paltrow.

Official Website

valentino.com

United Bamboo

Miho Aoki & Thuy Pham

The Label

Fashion collectives can be tricky terrain, with clashing personalities and design aesthetics. But Miho Aoki and Thuy Pham seem to have struck a perfect balance in United Bamboo, launched in 1998. Once dubbed a “hipster” label for the downtown crowd, the line has certainly grown past those boundaries and evolved into one of New York’s most popular, forward-thinking collections. This expansion can be attributed in no small part to Aoki and Pham’s innovative way with pattern, details, and fabrics. The duo is also constantly delving into the underground art world, working with various artists and musicians on “art projects” like T-shirts printed with provocative cartoons or compilation CDs produced by their indie music label United Acoustic Recording.

The Look

Cross-cultural, conscientious art project gone wearable and covetable.

The Designer

Japanese-born Miho Aoki (who graduated from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology) met Vietnamese-born Thuy Pham (who studied architecture at Cooper Union) when she worked for him at another design collective, Bernadette Corp. United Bamboo made its runway debut during the New York fall 2004 Fashion Week.

Official Website

unitedbamboo.com

Thierry Mugler

The Look

Mugler usually designs 2-piece outfits with a jacket feature, full sleeves, masculine cuts, emphasizing the waist and hips to create a perfect body.

He often uses solid colours as a sculptor would. He often uses pointed angles on collars, hems, sleeves, waist and hips.

He does use a lot of prints but at times uses patches of leather. He uses less of accessories and headgear. He tries to create drama into his clothing but usually the devil features, example gelled hair in the shape of horns.

Mugler also designs clothes for men but often uses bright colours for them like orange, yellow, etc. which is unusual for men's clothing.

Fabrics: Jersey, vinyl, Lycra, Gingham and Leather are his favourites.

He says "Fashion is a movie. Every morning when you get dressed, you direct yourself". He has earned a reputation for misogyny which he dislikes and says "when people say that my clothes are against women, it is because they are not easy to wear. You have to be in a good shape to wear my clothes and I like to design for such women - the clothes are more beautiful that way."

Mugler's quest is always to shape a perfect woman but underneath this glamorous exterior, his clothes are very well-structured and engineered, and of course sexy.

The Designer

Mugler's early training was as a ballet dancer, but he also studied design and created garments for friends at the same time. He moved to Paris in 1970 and worked as a window-dresser, designing clothing as a side job. He launched his first line Café de Paris in 1973,[1] and founded his own label for women two years later, to be followed by designs for men in 1978.

Mugler's work over the next two decades had a style that was very much of its time: it was strong, angular, sometimes almost cruel. Shoulders were wide and padded; waists were wasp-like. Prints were banished: Mugler's clothes came in solid, dominating colours. Collars had exaggerated points, or flamelike cutouts. The insect kingdom was a constant influence, as were the ladies and gentlemen of film noir. In his most extreme runway garments, PVC was often used, as were space and robot themes. Mugler's fashion house did not survive the 1990s, though vintage versions of his more wearable clothes are still popular on auction sites like eBay.


1997 saw the start of a lucrative partnership with the French cosmetics and skincare company Clarins, the most well-known Thierry Mugler fragrances being Angel (the most popular perfume in France) and A-men fragrances.[1] The Thierry Mugler company is now known best for its perfume division: the couture division was closed in 2003, and all Thierry Mugler ready-to-wear is now produced under licence agreements, as is a line of eyewear.

Meanwhile, Mugler turned to other artistic interests. He published two books featuring his fashion designs and photography, controversially inspired by Stalinist propaganda:[1] Thierry Mugler (1988) and Fashion Fetish Fantasy (1998). In 1992, Mugler directed the video for George Michael's "Too Funky," featuring a parade of Mugler fashions including the famous motorcycle dress.

More recently, Mugler collaborated with Cirque du Soleil on its 2003 show "Zumanity" at the New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Notably, this is Cirque du Soleil's first show for mature audiences.

Official Website

www.thierrymugler.com

Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger

"Dressing should be a fun, creative way to express yourself, with clothes celebrating your individuality," says Tommy Hilfiger, whose designs epitomize the creativity and diversity of America. The Elmira, New York, native began his retail career in 1969 with $150 and 20 pairs of jeans. The self-taught designer opened his own stores in upstate New York called People's Place. As principal designer for his namesake company, Hilfiger ensures that his complete lifestyle collections for men, women, children and the home reflect a combination of the classics and the latest fashion trends. Hilfiger is actively involved in a number of charities and causes, including the Washington D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation and the Anti-Defamation League. He has also served on the board of directors for the Fresh Air Fund and the Race to Erase MS. The fashion industry has honored Hilfiger many times. His achievements include the GQ magazine Designer of the Year award, VH1's "From the Catwalk to the Sidewalk" award and the prestigious CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award.

Official Website

tommy.com

Stella McCartney

The daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his wife Linda, Stella McCartney, born in 1972, hardly had a chance to be ordinary. At just 15, she was already working with fashion heavyweight Christian Lacroix on his first couture collection. She later went on to study fashion design in London, garnering plenty of attention at her graduation show for employing friends Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss as models. After launching her own line, McCartney signed on as chief designer at Chloe, the French couture house. Her collection of delicate, feminine clothing was positively received by the fashion world, boosting Chloe's sales and reputation and proving that McCartney wasn't just gliding by on her name. She left Chloe, however, in 2001 to develop her own label as part of the Gucci group, and opened her New York store in 2002. McCartney's line blends frilly elements like pastel silks and ribbons with street-worthy rocker accents, like slasher-tees and industrial zippers. All clothes are animal-free, including the shoes, which are outfitted from a leather-like plant derivative.

Official Website

www.stellamccartney.com

Sass & Bide

Heidi Middleton & Sarah-Jane Clarke

The Label

The Austrailian duo named their label after their nicknames: Heidi Middleton (the brains behind the design) is Bide, while Sarah-Jane Clarke (in charge of business operations) goes by Sass. Their high-end line launched in Australia in 2001 and has since sold millions in the States. They've also debuted a very-high end, limited edition sub-collection, Wolfnation, for rich girls who like to kick butt.

The Look

Their motto is "don't look too pretty." Imperfection can be much more stylish than looking overly-polished and coordinated. They achieve this by mixing "polar opposites, like a beautiful sari with distressed leather straps, sequined tops with denim." Hence their brave look, which captures the fancy of so many empowered, fashionable women who love a sexy style—the more contradictory the better. Look for their highly-coveted denim collection with the notoroius two-inch zippers (the most basic fetch $125) and body-hugging jackets, corsets and minidresses.

Official Website

sassandbide.com

Shin Choi

The creations of Korean-born designer Shin Choi have been described as having a New York City energy that challenges traditional styling with cutting-edge details. Her collection's appeal is a product of Choi's modern, clean aesthetic and sharp eye for shape and texture. Choi studied at the Parson's School of Design, and in 1988 launched her own ready-to-wear collection under the name Coleridge & Co. In 1999, the line took on Choi's own name and caters to the young designer market.

Who Wears It

Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Helen Hunt, Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric

Official Website

shinchoi.com

Rock & Republic

Michael Ball

The Label

Rock and Republic is an American high-end fashion and jeans brand founded by fashion mogul Michael Ball in 2002. The company is owned by Andrea Bernholtz.

Rock & Republic has clothing lines for men, women, and children. The brand also produces maternity wear. Although the Rock & Republic collection includes all types of clothing, the brand is best known for its denim. Women's shoes have recently been introduced to the collection with the majority of styles being stilettos and wedges. Eyewear and handbags are scheduled to hit the stores by the end of spring 2007.

Rock & Republic is sold in high-end department stores such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods, and Harvey Nichols.

Rock & Republic sponsors a professional cycling team named Rock Racing, which is noted for its constantly changing team kit as well as its Cadillac Escalade team car. Rock Racing has secured a number of successful cyclists for the 2008 season.

The Look

The brand's name is explained on the company website:

Rock & Republic means edgy, progressive design inspired by Rock & Roll and with an emphasis on modern silhouettes and a sleek fit. Each piece in the collection is designed for sexy, confident men and women who live the lifestyle and really understand the look.

The Designer

Prior to starting the company, Ball was an avid cyclist and gained design experience by creating his cycling team's uniforms.
Rock & Republic is well known for their line designed by Victoria Beckham, called 'VB Rocks'.

Official Website

rockandrepublic.com

Rocawear

Jay-Z and Damon Dash

Part of the Roc-A-Fella empire founded by Jay-Z and Damon Dash, Rocawear was launched in 1999, during Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life Tour. Based around streetwear staples like knit tracksuits, dark denim, leather bomber jackets, and fur-lined hoodies, Rocawear was originally targeted to young men but now includes a women's line as well. The label has been popularized by superstar rappers like Jay-Z, Method Man, and DMX, but Dash insists that Rocawear is keeping it real. "In our music, we talk about what we are," says the 30-year-old, Harlem-born music mogul. "We want to make clothes that help paint that picture."

Official Website

rocawear.com