D E S I G N E R   / /  B I O S

ASH

Ash was founded in 2000 from the passion and the knowledge of two great creative minds: Leonello Calvani and Patrick Ithier. Both with experience in the luxury shoe market, Calvani and Ithier worked for such top names as Charles Jourdan and Stephane Kelian. Their partnership was formed out of their mutual stylistic and commercial taste and a desire for edgy and unique contemporary footwear.  Their shoes reflect their background in French luxury design, merged with Italian leathers and craftsmanship. The philosophy of Ash was created on two main ideas: the selection of the distribution and the price competition, while creating cool unique products for fashion forward consumers. Ash shoes target the fashion conscious generation of men and women who travel to the style capitals of the world, always setting trends, never following them.
The goal of Ash is to be able to grow the net of a single brand investing on the European market, but also expanding in Asia and the United States, a clear sign of the willingness of the brand to become the leader in contemporary footwear. After the great success of the boutiques in London, Paris and Barcelona, Ash recently opened the first flagship in Rome in Via Frattina 113 at the center of the capital.

BROCHU WALKER

THE INSPIRATION
The "Ah Ha" moment for founder,Shelby Mason came on a cold Chicago day during a normally uneventful business trip. While walking through an airport security line, Shelby removed her fashionable boots to reveal not only her gray tights, but an old pair of white tube socks "borrowed" from her father months before for extra comfort and warmth. (Ugh!). Worse yet, one sock had slid down her ankle allowing the zipper to snag what was a brand new pair of tights. Disgraced but determined,Shelby spent the entire flight wondering why she couldn't have a cute, quality tight combined with a cozy foot bed to wear with her boots? By the time she landed, Bootights was taking off.

After honing their skills at various New York  fashion companies, Lisa Brochu and Lauren Walker launched the BROCHU WALKER collection in February 2008. The trendsetting duo identified a void in the market for effortless, wearable, chic basics that appealed to women who had outgrown contemporary designs.

BROCHU WALKER is built on the principal of layering and wrapping. Each season produces everyday essentials as well as novelty pieces that can be worn alone or paired with items already hanging in your wardrobe. Color palettes are neutral and earthy with a bold accent. Fabrics are luxurious and inviting. Crisp cottons, warm cashmeres, soft knits and rumpled woven pieces are the cornerstones of the line.  The interplay between texture and tonality, classic silhouettes with unexpected details and varied proportion are what make the BROCHU WALKER collection unique. They are versatile pieces that a woman can put her individual stamp on.  BROCHU WALKER clothing can be worn with heels, a favorite pair of jeans, at the beach or when lounging at home. It's all about stylish versatility and ease...wearable runway.

BROGDEN

LA FLORENS is one of the few Italian fashion companies able to combine commercial success with critical credibility, Galluzzo family is renowned for his capacity to take on traditional  leather styling in sophisticated revolutionary fashion collections. The founder Paolo Galluzzo fell into fashion by accident. Refusing any family help, as a 32 year-old geologist, he  left his sure job by a multinational oil company to start in 1959 to create a leather bags and accessories manufacturing company in Florence. During his first hard ten years at the company, Paolo had the real interest in his work to make it grow more complete. In 1969 he started with the first women leather garments collection with Florens label. In the 70's and 80's the company produced and distributed own worldwide successful brands as Harry & Moore, Whitcomb, Lee Trevor and Brogden that were created by the second generation formed by Enzo, Enrico and Andrea, sons of Paolo.  In the 90's the company started also important collaborations for male and female collections of main brands as Giorgio Armani,  Diesel, DKNY,  Max Mara, Sixty Group, JP Gauthier, Calvin Klein, Guess, D&G, Pauw, Ra-Re, Nolita, Dekker and others. In the new century La Florens is considered and appreciated as a research company.

An incredible amount of research is undertaken to create skins able to bring life to the design. All collections are produced with artisan techniques to create aged jackets and coats. The adopted systems enable each item to have an individual personality.  Most of works originate due to the great job on materials as most of skins are directly realized by the company tanneries in Italy and India. Moreover the company owns a complete style office able to propose a wide research for internal and external demands. Since the 90's La Florens has a multinational asset organized as production structures in Italy, Moroc, India and China.

ALLUDE

In the beginning there was amazement.  As a much sought-after model, Andrea Karg came into contact with cashmere, and fell head-over-heels in love with it.  Andrea was amazed that this most sensuous of yarns was only used to create plain, dull v-neck pullovers and cardigans, and saw a missed opportunity.  The law graduate resolved for success.  Under the name Allude, Andrea created a company Specialising in cashmere, which quickly became established as a recognized trademark.  The Allude designs have a strong presence, creative and sexy, but subtle in execution.  Andrea Karg is passionate about the female body and women as people.  This passion is driven by art, family, music, and a cosmopolitan lifestyle that continuously inspires.

COLLINA STRADA

Launched in Los Angeles in the Fall of 2008 by fashion designer Hillary Taymour, Collina Strada is a creation for the fashionista. Knowing that if something made her happy it would, in turn, make other girls happy, Hillary began Collina Strada as a small collection for her fashion forward friends. With an act of bold chance and an embrace of passion, Hillary has focused on a movement of things that speaks to her: distinctive textures, sharp details, and original styles that have started to make "heads roll".  Uniqueness is hard to find and Collina Strada fills that void by providing fun loving, curious and bold women with bags that break free from the rest. Created for those drawn by inspirational pieces, Collina Strada is a true combination of vintage and modern style, created to seamlessly translate from season to season. Collina Strada keeps sustainability in mind by hand-making each piece in New York with eco-conscious materials.

VISION
At Collina Strada we believe that inspiration is best found off the beaten path. Our original fabrics are influenced by vintage prints with a twist of modern yet ethnic patterns, providing unique and modern accessories for the fashion forward woman. Distinguished by high-end construction and tailored shapes, Collina Strada combines brilliant colors and matchless details in order to create contrast and versatility in each bag.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER
LA native, Hillary Taymour, has an eclectic Egyptian background and possesses the true characteristics of a Leo. With dedication and determination that has followed her from a successful career as an equestrian, into the fashion industry, Hillary takes her ideas from the initial concept and design through the stages of technical design, sourcing, production and marketing to the consumer. With an Associates degree in Product Development and a Bachelors degree in business management from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Hillary is following her inspirations such as Maison Martin Margiela, Proenza Schoulder, Prada, Lanvin, Hermes, and Balenciaga into the fashion industry with a fresh, educated eye.

COOKIE JOHNSON

At Cj by Cookie Johnson, we are committed to helping you love the way you look, by offering you the best fitting, premium denim fit for women with real bodies.
We fit our garments on curvy women of all sizes to make sure the jeans are flattering in all the right places. Cj by Cookie Johnson offers more room in the thighs and derriere and comes up a bit higher in the back than most lines.
We use premium fabrics. In most of our denim silhouettes, like the “Joy” legging, we use the highest (40%) super stretch we can find. In our other styles, like our trousers and silks, we offer non-stretch fabrics. Cj by Cookie Johnson uses only the softest, most comfortable premium denim available. We like to say our jeans are woven with self-esteem!
We offer the most current fashion trends for all sizes. Whatever your size or shape, you will feel beautiful in our jeans! Every day, we refine the line based on your feedback, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us.

COSTUME NATIONAL

CoSTUME NATIONAL is an Italian fashion house founded in 1986 by Ennio Capasa, Creative Director, and his brother Carlo, CEO of the Maison, which has its head offices in Milan. The company produces clothing under the brands Costume National, Costume National Homme (for men) and C’N’C (an ‘avant garde “street-couture” line’[1]) as well as scents including The Trilogy, Scent Gloss, Scent Cool Gloss, Intense, 21, andHomme.
The company was founded in 1986 in Milan by Ennio Capasa, fresh from working in Japan as an assistant to Yohji Yamamoto, and by his brother Carlo. Its first womenswear collection was presented in Milan in the same year. In 1991 the ‘Woman Collection’ was presented in Paris. Between 1995 and 1998 the fashion house opened stores in Milan, New York, Rome, Los Angeles and Paris.
In 2000 a menswear collection was streamed online in collaboration with Kataweb. Over the following three years the company extended its range of products to include perfumes, eyewear, ready to wear apparel and footwear, plus accessories tageted at the younger generations.

DRIES VAN NOTEN

Born in Antwerp in 1958, Dries Van Noten is the third generation in a family of tailors. Between the two world wars, his grandfather reworked second-hand clothes by turning them inside out and introduced Antwerp to the concept of ready-to-wear. In 1970 Dries’ father opened a large upscale fashion boutique in the outskirts of Antwerp followed by a second outlet in the city centre where he sold collections by Ungaro, Ferragamo and Zegna. At the same time, his mother ran a Cassandre franchised store and collected antique lace and linen.

From his education at a Jesuit school, Dries acquired great moral strength and a very practical outlook on life. His family background ensured that he was introduced to the world of fashion, its rites and traditions from the youngest age.  As a boy, he went with his father to see the shows and collections in Milan, Düsseldorf and Paris where he learnt all about the commercial and technical side of the profession. However, he soon decided that he was more interested in designing fashions than selling them. In 1976, at the age of 18, he entered the fashion design course of Antwerp’s Royal Academy. While continuing his studies, Van Noten began to work as a freelance designer for commercial collections for a Belgian manufacturer. This practical experience would prove invaluable when he started to produce and retail his own designs. The same year he met Christine Mathys who would be his business partner and tireless champion until her death in 1999

After graduating, Dries Van Noten continued to freelance before going onto producing his own collection of blazers, shirts and trousers. The line met with almost immediate success on its launch in 1986 selling to prestigious customers like Barneys New York, Pauw in Amsterdam and Whistles in London.  In September of the same year, Dries Van Noten opened a tiny eponymous boutique in Antwerp’s gallery arcade. Here he sold his men’s and women’s collections, which were initially made from the same fabrics.

ISABEL MARANT

Born in 1967, creates her own world of «melting mode». Her French father, her German mother and particularly her West Indian mother-in-law gave her a cosmopolite education. It is also while traveling in India or Africa that she finds her inspiration.  Gifted with a range of skills, Isabel launches a first line of jewelry which will be the best way to finance her business. In 1990, she launches Twen, a small knitwear collection that will grow and become later Isabel Marant, as we know it today.  The style Isabel Marant is a culture mix, a cosmopolite and urban world. Isabel’s silhouettes are showing feminine elegance, fitted and close-to-the-body.

BRUNELLO CUCCINELLI (GUNEX&RIVAMONTI)

Brunello Cucinelli was born to a family of modest means on September 3, 1953, in Castel Rigone (Perugia).  In 1972, he earned a diploma as a land surveyor in Perugia. He studied at the School of Engineering of Perugia University from 1972 to 1974.  At 25 years old, he realized that dyed cashmere could be a great innovation (until then, cashmere only came in neutral, basic shades). He started his business, without financial means, in a small 40 sq. m. workshop.  After his second year of business, he hired his first employee.  Brunello Cucinelli's first export markets were Germany and the United States, which were considered financially solid countries.

In 1985 Brunello Cucinelli bought the dilapidated 14th century castle of Solomeo, a small abandoned village on the outskirts of Perugia where his fiancée Federica Benda lived, as the future headquarters of his small cashmere business.  The restoration project began that same year. He moved his company headquarters to Solomeo in 1987.  Today the company has two locations: the first, in the ancient village that has returned to its ancient splendor after years of meticulous, patient restoration, is composed of 8 homes, a castle, a church, and a villa.  The second, outside the small village, is a new industrial plant with a park and fruit orchard.  Brunello Cucinelli's lifelong dream has been to work in a splendid location to make people's work more "humane" and "dignified" and to simultaneously "safeguard" the artistic and cultural heritage of the world.

HISTORY
About twentyfive years ago, at the start of his career, Brunello Cucinelli chose Solomeo as the location that was eventually to become the headquarters of his humanistic business enterprises. It is here, in this medieval village near Assisi, where the wind still gently carries the spirituality that inspired the "Ora et Labora" of St Benedetto of Norcia and the mysticism of St. Francis, that a new concept of work and the desire to live in joyful harmony with nature are developing. This different way of conceiving a business enterprise is at the same time both modern and old, and in it Brunello Cucinelli has identified a model that will be employed in the future. For this reason he has dedicated himself fully to the task of carefully restoring the ancient village of Solomeo. It has 400 inhabitants and consists of a small medieval cluster of houses which were built at the end of the fourteenth century. There is a castle, which is where the company is based, a church, a village square and the old village farm, recently restored and transformed into a comfortable villa where cultural events are held and where the company cafeteria is situated. The village represents the meeting place where one can rediscover the importance and value of one's individuality and the joy of living and working together with others. At Solomeo the creativity of each individual employed in the workshops is part of the common good, and there is no room for things such as clocking on, certificates, trade unions. It is here that Brunello Cucinelli, with great skill, develops the relationship between colours and cashmere. The cashmere is then exported all over the world where it takes its place alongside the more traditional products made in this elegant material. These craft workshops, like ancient medieval builders' workshops, do not have proprietors, only workers with different roles and responsibilities. True creative workshops, they are the vital force that produces the ideas which, renewed each year, are then exported all over the world.

HUDSON

Born and raised in London, Hudson – brand of choice for today's footwear connoisseurs – has come of age.  Conceived in 1990, the company was established to fill a gap in the shoe industry for affordable, forward thinking, high quality footwear.  In 2004 H by Hudson was launched on the unsuspecting public. This errant younger brother hit the ground running and brought the brand ethos to a wider range of consumer.  Due to popular demand, an H by Hudson ladies range was introduced in 2008. Now in its 5th season it is swiftly becoming as formidable as the men’s.  December 2010 sees Hudson go live with the opening of their first ever e-commerce store. The site will be home to all three ranges with a bag collection to follow in 2011.  Hudson and H by Hudson collections are available worldwide

HUMANOID

Though the Humanoid label is just starting to take off in the U.S., the brand was launched over 26 years ago by Sandra Harmsen and Hans Boelens.  The Holland-based designer clothing line  celebrates an urban chic style sensibility.  The goal of the designers is to create clothing that is incredibly comfortable to wear; a task achieved by their dedication to using fabrics that feel good on the body.  Humanoid also specializes in the use of eco-friendly innovative fabrics.  Shorts crafted from bean and bamboo sound like they belong in a garden, but their unbeatable comfort was meant for the modern city girl with style.
Humanoid’s designs are characterized by body-hugging shapes that fall in soft drapes and billowing silhouettes against the skin.  They describe their clothing as ‘elegant with an edge… perfect for the modern urban warrior.’  Indeed, it is easy to envision city dwelling women across the globe navigating the urban jungle in their beautifully draped pieces.  Humanoid dresses have a graceful fluidity, with carefully designed lines that prevent that garment from hanging shapelessly.  The frocks are well-paired with thick tights, a fitted jacket, and another signature Humanoid item - the slouchy ankle boot.
Humanoid’s popular ankle boots come in flat soles as well as with low heels; heights made for trekking through the city.  On chilly days, their light, airy cardigans can be thrown over almost anything thanks to the neutral colors and versatile shapes.  Overall, Humanoid is a line that has something to offer for every stylish urbanite.

INHABIT

INHABIT is a unique and luxurious knitwear label with a philosophy centered on the body. Focused on explorations of fit and proportion, INHABIT has created a line of timeless classics–cashmere and cotton knitwear that is attuned to the lines, volumes, and movement of the body. Pieces are meant to be draped and layered, emphasizing fluidity and ease. Knits varying in gauge and weight range from cozy cashmere and wintry wool, to cool cotton and summer linen. Innovative details in the textures, ties, stitching and seams give INHABIT sweaters a distinct sensibility that stands out in the marketplace.
Each season, INHABIT produces everyday essentials in gorgeous muted tones that fill up the closets of women in the know, and provide the foundation for their wardrobes. Celebrities and fashion insiders alike covet INHABIT's luxurious sweaters for their wearibility, versatility, and celebration of individual style. Look to INHABIT for the latest in knitwear innovation, where form and function (looking good and staying warm) chicly co-exist.

LIVIANA CONTI

HISTORY
In 1976 Liviana Troffei came out with a knitwear line for children under the name "lamelamatura".  The creative intuition of Liviana, head of the style office, plus the entrepreneurial talent of Roberto Conti, general manager of the company, meant that by 1982 there was the first production of a brand of Total Look women's knitwear which has now become hard fact and an international griffe into the bargain:
Liviana Conti.

The operative centre was founded in Savignano sul Rubicone, where it still carries out most of the production, while the showroom is in Milan, and products are distributed to leading markets not only in Italy, but the rest of Europe and the world: France, Germany, Benelux, Spain, Switzerland, China, Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia and the United States.  In 2008, the company was purchased by the Light Force SpA group, already owners of the brands TWIN-SET Simona Barbieri and SCEE by TWIN-SET, as a second line and brand devoted to the younger set. Another recent purchase is LUCIANO PADOVAN, a celebrated brand of footwear now part of the Light Force SpA group.

CONCEPT
Liviana Conti is the Italian mastermind behind inventive knitting.
Open to experimentation, the knitwear she produces is the very thing that leads us to discover the stylist's personality.  Her world of perceptions finds expression in a product which is essential yet refined, the progeny of a conceptual art which makes a cult of our times out of a refined minimalism.  The product, the very synonym of quality, created with craftsman-like care, evokes something of the haiku, the greatest poetic expression where the imagination lingers over a detail to bring us the very essence inherent in it.

MALENE BIRGER

THE COMPANY
Malene Birger is the founder, heart and brains behind BY MALENE BIRGER A/S. Her unique sense of aesthetics has earned her a distinguished place in the global fashion arena, known for her exclusive approach to elegance echoed in everything BY MALENE BIRGER produces.  In order to focus solely on the designs, collections and overall creative expression, Ms Birger has elected to transfer the business side of the company by selling her shares in BY MALENE BIRGER to IC Companys. The previous co-owner and big supporter of Ms Birger from the start, IC Companys is one of Denmark’s largest fashion conglomerate.

THE BRAND
Ms Birger continues in her new role at BY MALENE BIRGER as Art Directing Consultant, in charge of evolving her distinctive design universe and signature style. With the freedom to take the creativity to a higher level. She is supported by a strong Management Team consisting of CEO Lars Andresen, Brand/Marketing and Production Director Rupert Landendinger, International Franchise and Retail Director Charlotte Egelund and a new International Wholesale Director Claes Hinding Frederiksen. Together they are committed to developing not just as a creative company - but also as a creative business. While at the same time, facilitating the company’s enormous, ongoing success worldwide. In just 8 years since its inception, the brand is available in 7 continents all around the world. With sales in 42 countries, representation by 19 agents and distributors, as well as a staff of over 80 professionals, BY MALENE BIRGER is undeniably a global brand in demand.

THE VISION & VALUES
BY MALENE BIRGER’s vision is to be recognized as a dynamic, inspiring, design-driven global brand. Based on loyalty, honesty and long-lasting relationships, the company strives to be a pivotal player in the international fashion arena, as an exquisite, upscale brand for a growing customer base worldwide.  The brand universe is driven by four values: Obsession – Creativity – Responsibility – Efficiency. They are the foundation of the company’s unique way of thinking, being and working, defined back when Ms. Birger first established the company in 2003. The values are supported by a professional, proactive staff who embrace the BY MALENE BIRGER universe, and who live and breath the brand values.  The company is based on love – for the product and the people who contribute to evolving it.

MARTIN MARGIELA

Martin Margiela (born April 9, 1957 in Genk, Belgium) is a Belgian fashion designer. He studied at Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts along with the legendary avantgarde fashion collective the Antwerp Six. Many[who?] still consider him to be the "7th" member of the collective.  After graduation in 1980 he worked as a freelance designer for five years. Between 1985 and 1987 he worked for Jean Paul Gaultier, before showing his first collection under his own label in 1989. Between 1997 to 2003 he became, despite his non-traditional design, the creative director of the Hermès women's line.

During the 1980s, the Japanese avantgardists, with Rei Kawakubo—creator of the label Comme des Garçons—had turned the fashion scene upside-down with their eccentric and ground-breaking designs. Martin Margiela and the Antwerp Six would carry on the work, revolting against the luxurious fashion world with garments of oversized proportions such as long arms, and with linings, seams and hems on the outside. The concept of deconstruction, also embraced by the aforementioned Rei Kawakubo, is important for the understanding of Martin Margiela's fashion statement. Mr Margiela famously redesigns by hand objects such as old wigs, canvases and silk scarves into couture garments.

Throughout his career, Martin Margiela has maintained an extremely low profile. He has never had his picture taken and remains backstage after his shows. All media contact is dealt with via fax. Maison Martin Margiela’s ultradiscreet trademark consists of a piece of cloth with the numbers 0-23 (see table below). The badge is attached to the inside with its four little white pick stitches, exposed to the outside on unlined garments. For the 20'th anniversary the anonymous tag was replaced by a classic logotype.

Margiela's brand was acquired by the Diesel brand in 2002 and industry insiders quoted in the article suggested that Martin Margiela may desire to leave due to creative differences, or simply, "... a desire to enjoy his life outside the insistent glare of the fashion world."
An article in New York Times dated October 1, 2008, gave many in the fashion world their first glimpse of Margiela's face, as well as breaking the news that he allegedly offered to hand the reins of his company over to Raf Simons, who appears to have declined the offer. Haider Ackermann was later offered the position as creative director, but similarly turned it down.

In October, 2009, Margiela majority stakeholder Renzo Rosso finally made public: "Martin has not been there for a long time. He is here but not here. We have a new fresh design team on board. We are focusing on young, realistic energy for the future; this is really Margiela for the year 2015."  A press release announced in December 2010, that Margiela "has left the business. No replacement creative director will be appointed. Maison Martin Margiela will continue trading but the company declined to comment on the reasons for Margiela’s exit."

NELLIE PARTOW

Creative director Nellie Partow launched her eponymous collection in Spring of 2008 with one vision for her line of women's wear: "Confidence is beauty. When individuals embrace my designs, I want them to feel effortlessly sexy, chic, timeless, and unique." The designs you see here are fueled by Partow's passion for beauty, originality and her appreciation for classic creations.

Partow began her journey with a business degree from San Francisco State University followed by a fashion degree from Parsons School of Design in New York City. Nellie gained insight, edge, and experience designing with senior designers at Donna Karan. Upon graduation, the designer landed her first position at Calvin Klein followed by a full time consulting position for famed New York designer John Varvatos.
While the Nellie Partow collection consistently represents an air of ease and allure, Partow has another side that few people get to see. Partow's dedication to the sport of boxing has earned her the title of 2007 NYC Daily Women's Golden Glove Boxing Champion, winning in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. It's not every day that you meet a designer that also packs a big punch!

NIGEL PRESTON & KNIGHT

For over three decades the British born designers Nigel Preston & Brenda Knight have been creating luxurious leather , suede and sheepskin collections.  They are renowned amongst the world’s top store for their inspired detailing and original approach to garment construction and design.  The collections have created a loyal following of international buyers in America, Japan, Europe and Scandinavia.
Nigel Preston originally began in the sixties with his ‘Maxfield Parrish’ store, just off Kings Road where the bespoke collection was born making incredible made to measure stage clothes for emerging pop stars such as The Stones, Queen, Suzi Quatro, Kate Bush and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.  Throughout the seventies these early collections transformed leather from its tough rock’n’roll image, molding skin tight leather jumpsuits to the ebb and flow of the body as if it were silk.  Nigel’s other passions were simple masculine loosely tailored classics transformed into their renowned Chandleresque trench coat or Western Gambler’s Jackets sweeping back through the history of 18th and 19th century’s and military influences.
Brenda’s background was in styling, fashion show production and design and ran her own Fashion PR company in London for many years.  She currently divides her time between India and her 18C. Chateau in rural France where her Design Studio and Historic collections are based.  She is well-known in London to the bazaars of Turkey and Jaipur and Delhi…  An avid seeker and collector of antique garments, shawls, prints and trimmings such as 18th century lace and embroideries from which scraps she divines the inspiration for her garments.  She mat take reference from an old French Priest Coats or laced up bustiers and bustles or sculpted fitted military Napoleonic coats through to battered leather 19th century motoring coats.  Antique lace jackets, blouses and skirts are gently coerced into the 21st century whilst still retaining their breathtaking past.
Brenda is renowned for the detailed bespoke finishes she lavishes on her garments including hand painting, cutwork and intricate metallic hand embroideries through to completely hand stitched garments.  Carried out in her own manufacturing and sampling workshop where she is surrounded by her handpicked team of loyal and dedicated artisan experts which she has found from every field of expertise.  She works tirelessly for months on each collection, personally designing and overseeing each intricate step of the creation of every garment which she then oversees through endless fittings until she is satisfied with her desire that every garment should be a fascinating masterpiece, individually handmade and perfect to the highest expectations of material and manufacture.  The fabric and blouse collection was launched in 2006 with romantic historical designs, in linens, cottons, and antique trim of ribbons, lace and embroidery.  Through constant experimentation with quirky hand stitching and the development and evolution of ornamentation she creates clothes of idiosyncratic, poetic, wearable and original beauty.
Winter 2011 sees the launch of sheepskin and fur handbags to complement the outerwear collection and Brenda continues her mission to lead the way in the arena of luxury design with the launch this season of her personal ‘Heritage Jewelry Collection’ of 18th and 19th century necklaces, soutiers, rivieres, crosses and chains studded with diamonds and precious gems.

PAMELA HENSON

The label of Pamela Henson was born in the year 1993. The story is as astonishing as simple. A girl friend of Pamela Henson saw a young woman in one of the hip cafes in Amsterdam. She was wearing riding breeches in combination with a tight fitting blouse. The look was absolutely authentic as if she had just finished her horseback ride.  This look was spreading in the street scenes of London and Paris. The equestrian glamour was born - representing a luxury lifestyle many people do associate with riding.

Pamela Henson went to a producer of first class riding breeches, customized them in a way where they finally kept their authenticity while offering a surprising wearing comfort. Pamela Henson riding breeches have been ordered by many renowned fashion houses and boutiques. In 1995 Jil Sander has taken notice of Pamela Henson products and added them in a modified version to her own collection.

Since 2005 the fashion house Eickhoff in Düsseldorf started producing the breeches with a new style, fresh new colors and leather materials. They can be worn in or over the boots thereby creating a totally different look. Their perfect fit combined with unique materials are making them so much-loved.

PIERANTONIO GASPARI

Pierantonio Gaspari, a predestined and an enthusiast experimenter.  Born around knitters and knitting machines in the family company and growing he learnt  the secrets, tricks and shortcuts erethe trade, and he was fascinated of it.  As soon as he finished high school he asked his father to let him start designing, and begins to design knitwear, follows up the realisation, and develops his projects to improve techniques and structure.  At 30 he is ready to take the big step: his own line.  PierAntonioGaspari was launched, the brand name, his own name and surname, all in one word, as if to show that there are no spaces for doubts: he becomes his own product.  A concept of a new and one of a kind product, also for himself, starts; not only and no longer only knitwear: the knit is transformed and becomes clothing ‘tout-court’ that get mixed up and blended with the fabrics.  No limits and no obstacles exist for his imagination. Pierantonio Gaspari invents the medicine that, also for the critics, saves knitwear from the ‘accessory syndrome’, and get it become a commercial success.

RAQUEL ALLEGRA

Formerly with Issey Miyake and Barneys NY, Raquel is a thoughtful artisan who for seven years created fine jewelry and most recently a line handcrafted with t-shirts reclaimed from the LA County Jail.  Raquel's second line of designs features vintage pieces redesigned with a modern interpretation, while keeping their original soul. These one of a kind designs have been featured in Lucky Magazine, as well as on celebrities including Nichole Richie, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Biel, Sofia Bush, Mary Kate Olson, Ali Landry, Alicia Silverstone, Melanie B, Britney Spears, and Lisa Marie Presley.

POST & CO LEATHER GOODS

Post&Co men/women leathers range was created in 1995 by ART-MODA s.r.l. The Company founded by Giovanni Forzieri in 1972, started producing for big  english timing chain.  Since 1990 Simone and Massimiliano, young sons of the owner, after  an apprenticeship into tanneries were part of the Family Company. Two years later,  they performed their first ranges and began co-operation with many fashion designers.  The Company ART-MODA s.r.l. with his brand Post&Co is present in some of  most important International Shop Stores participating every year in main trade fairs.  Each Post&Co cut is all “made in Italy”, leathers are aged through particular treatments, with hand stitchings, laser micro-engravings, precious python and crocodile insets; buckles and exclusive accessories nail the recognizable and accurate Post&Co range design.

RENE LEZARD

René Lezard is a medium-sized German fashion group making clothes for men and women. Neither high fashion nor cheap mass-market, René Lezard makes quality outfits and separates for High Street shops throughout Germany in what's known as the "gold" range—a bit less than designer but above bridge collections. René Lezard is a top German fashion brand and company, making quality, everyday clothes for practical lives. The clothes have a very practical, Northern European look and feel: thick, warm, heavy-duty office, leisure, and outdoor wear, distinctively German or middle European. The accent is on tailoring, not cut; fabrics are expensive but not flashy. The look is smart-somber, like a Northern European city in the rain or snow.

Fabrics used by the company include soft fleeces and refined leathers, warm corduroys and smooth velvets, thick tweeds, heavy lambswool and cashmere. Colors include all the darker shades of brown, gray, green, and blue, some dark mustard, some burgundy, and more recently denim and bright colors were added to the mix. The occasional item or outfit shines out in mother-of-pearl or cream. Though the styles are very classical, René Lezard seems more influenced by English fashion than French. The overall composition is pure German, with homegrown lines and styles. Shoulders are soft; upper parts are unrestricted and loose. There are many buttons and buttonholes, turnups, dark linings, high collars. The overall look is soft and loose, dry and warm. The smart chic of the clothes comes through the choice of refined color and fine fabric.

The company's range is comprehensive—for men, there are suits, jackets, vests, trousers, coats, sport jackets, shirts, neckties, belts, knitwear, t-shirts, polo neck sweaters, leathers, and most recently footwear. These are split into three lines: Classic, the basic elements of the collection; Excess, the young, approachable, commercial range; and Sophisticated, the fashionwear and experimental items. Similarly for women the range covers suits, trousers, skirts, blazers, coats, leatherwear, knitwear, blousons, and belts. Denim House is a mass-market brand, with jeans, shirts, jackets, and waistcoats clearly aimed at the High Street and a young adult market that buys one or more items to build or expand an existing wardrobe. In addition to the above, René Lezard uses licensee products within the collection: Asoni shirts, Albisetti ties, Condor belts, Traveller leather accessories.
René Lezard's strength is in finding its niche both in Europe and the U.S.—adults in the middle-age range who are willing to pay for stylish, practical, quality clothing that delivers as promised. The strategy paid off with strong growth in New York's SoHo district, which was treated to the company's first American store in September 1997, and corporate leaders are now looking toward Florida or the West Coast for future boutiques. The women's apparel is especially strong in the U.S. and sold in many Saks and Bergdorf Goodman locations. Men's apparel is primarily found in independent specialty stores, although the company is working to expand in the market.

René Lezard is actively seeking growth, particularly in the U.S., with increased spending for advertising, a "virtual showroom" website to interact with customers and professionals, sponsored trips for art students to Normandy, and by building ties with the art community, such as through sponsorship of the New York Academy of Arts benefit event "Take Home a Nude." The high quality and fit of René Lezard, coupled with its gold-level niche status, is sure to grow in popularity.

RICK OWENS

Rick Owens (born 1962) is an American fashion designer hailing from California, celebrated for his avant garde and subversive eye.  He is married to Michele Lamy. Since 2003, Rick Owens lives in Paris.  Born and raised in Porterville, California, Owens studied fine arts at Otis/Parsons (now known as Otis College of Art and Design) in Los Angeles for two years before a pattern-making class led him to drop out and work for some local companies that produced sportswear and inexpensive imitations of designer clothing. His own label, begun in 1994[1] found a following, selling exclusively to Charles Gallay, a pioneering Los Angeles retailer who kept Owens in business for several years. In 2001, he signed with Italian sales agent Eo Bocci Associati for world wide distribution, and his production moved to Italy.
He began to receive attention when an image of Kate Moss shot by Corrianne Day and styled by Panos Yiapanis appeared in Vogue Paris, featuring one of Owens' fitted distressed leather jackets. He showed his first runway collection in September 2002 during New York Fashion Week with the support of American Vogue and Anna Wintour, who also featured him and his muse Kembra Pfahler in a spread shot by Annie Leibovitz. The following season Owens launched his menswear collection, showing it alongside his womenswear in his Spring/Summer 2003 runway show. After his second runway show in New York, Owens made the decision to move the studio from Los Angeles to Paris and show during the Paris collections. He also began his longstanding collaboration with the stylist, Panos Yiapanis, who has been working with Owens on all his catwalk shows to date. He marked the anniversary of his 10th season with a launch of a retrospective book named ‘L’ai - Je Bien Descendu?,’ which included a number of provocative photographs.
In 2007 he was awarded a Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. In 2002, he won the Council of Fashion Designers of America Perry Ellis Emerging Talent Award. His look has been described as "glamour-meets-grunge", but Owens himself says "I try to make clothes the way Lou Reed does music, with minimal chord changes, and direct. It is sweet but kind of creepy. It's about giving everything I make a worn, softened feeling. It's about an elegance being tinged with a bit of the barbaric, the sloppiness of something dragging and the luxury of not caring. At Revillon, I felt it isn't about displaying one's junk, but rather giving the woman a selfish pleasure. It is about using sable as the lining under a very humble jacket, the luxury is all hers." Courtney Love, Bill Kaulitz from Tokio Hotel, Madonna and Helena Bonham Carter are among the celebrities who have been seen wearing his clothes, and Patricia Field used some of his pieces to create a fashion-forward look for Emily Blunt's character in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada. The opening of his first shop in the Palais Royal, in Paris, also debuted his furniture range as well as his various clothing lines from the younger and more affordable Lillies and the denim range named DRKSHDW to the very exclusive fur collection Palais Royal. His second store in New York's TriBeCa opened in the summer of 2008 with plans of further expansion.[2] In the May 2010 LA Times Magazine Owens dressed basketball superstar, Kobe Bryant.
He is bisexual[3] and married to Michele Lamy, who owned the popular Los Angeles restaurant Les Deux Cafés until the couple moved to Paris.[2] As Owens commented in a 2010 interview with 032c magazine: 'Frankly, in the beginning, I made a point of bringing up my sexuality just because I wanted to do it before anyone else could. I was with Michèle [Lamy], and hated the idea of someone whispering to her, “You know, I think your husband’s gay.” I was going to say it first. I didn’t want anyone to think they could embarrass me, or Michèle.'[4]

STEVEN ALAN

Steven Alan, a native New Yorker, has been a leader in the fashion world on many different levels.  Having started as a retailer with stores in downtown Manhattan, he garnered a following of artistic young customers searching for clothing that was original and unique.  His s reputation as a curator of new, edgy fashion caught on and gave him momentum to move toward expanding his vision.  His knowledge of design and his own personal aesthetic easily translated into his first collection of menswear, epitomized in what is now recognized as the Steven Alan reverse seam shirt.  Steven’s shirts are a twist on the classic button down, but with subtle details, perfect tailoring and an intricate washing process that is incredibly precise yet with a final effect that is unstudied, like a favorite beat-up classic that has been worn for years.

UNITED NUDE

This story begins with a broken heart. Rem's attempt to get the girl back was made by downsizing architecture to its smallest and most vulnerable scale, that of a woman's foot.  While most romantic notions are often foolish, what was hatched through the inspiration of romance was the 'Möbius' shoe. The girl was gone, but he knew the shoe had to become real.  Now add Galahad to our story. The seventh generation of the Clark's shoe-making dynasty.  When Rem and Galahad first met, Galahad saw the Möbius shoe design, and he was instantly convinced that a new brand had to be formed.  Joined together, Rem and Galahad created United Nude. The name derived from the fact that products evolve from international teams in an open way with direct recognition. United Nude launched in 2003 with the 'Möbius' shoe. Since then, United Nude has established itself as an iconic brand at the intersection between design and fashion.
United Nude products are about clear concepts, elegance and innovation.  After the Möbius shoe, United Nude has launched countless other products. The current Autumn/Winter collection for 2010 boasts twenty different styles of shoes in addition to the original launch product.  Today, the United Nude brand is sold in over 40 countries worldwide and United Nude has a booming retail business with a flagship stores in Amsterdam, New York, Shanghai as well as proprietary stores in London, Vienna, Tianjin, and two retail stores in Guangzhou.
Rem D Koolhaas - Creative Director & Founder - is a Dutch architect trained at the Technical University of Delft in Holland.  In 2000 he produced and edited a documentary film entitled "Moving Manhattan" with an accompanying book entitled "Shadow Book" with Neville Mars. In 2003 he was nominated with his Möbius shoe for the Rotterdam Design Award.
Galaahad Clark - Founder - is a seventh generation shoemaker from Somerset, England.  Learned the family trade working summers on production lines for Clark's shoes in Northampton and Italy. As a Morehead Scholar he studied Chinese and Anthropology at the University of North Carolina. He founded 'Students 4 Students International' a humanitarian organization project to benefit students in Africa. In 2002 he took over the Terra Plana shoe brand which he has run ever since.

WHITE + WARREN

White + Warren began when two fashion veterans came together with a mission to bring quality cashmere to fashion savvy women everywhere. The company was built on the simple notion that cashmere should be an integral part of every woman’s wardrobe. Starting with essential silhouettes in a multitude of colors, the collection has expanded to include sophisticated staples and key fashion items. Today the White + Warren brand goes well beyond cashmere, with men’s, women’s and accessories collections in a variety of fabrications. The collection continues to move forward into new territory, expanding into head-to-toe knit dressing that includes every layer- from tees to outerwear- for a total look that’s both comfortable and stylish.

White + Warren clothing and accessories are a favorite with celebrities and editors alike. Devotees of cashmere classics such as the Cashmere Travel Wrap, Cashmere Wrap Scarf and Superfine Cashmere Cardigan include Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Rachel Bilson and Blake Lively.

The company is located in New York City, in the heart of the fashion district. The energy and variety of New York fuels White + Warren’s team of creative and fashionable individuals. The White + Warren design team is inspired by a wealth of influences such as architectural silhouettes, organic textures and vintage patterns. They travel the world to continually seek out inspiration. The result is a collection of innovative knitwear that realizes trend and redefines basic.