Friday, February 6, 2009

Fashion models tighten their belts, due to downturn



A model presents this creation by Palestinian designer Hindi Mahdi inside the Saint-Merri Church in Paris as part of his Spring-Summer Haute Couture 2009 fashion collection in this recent photo from January 28, 2009.


"Half-price" models tighten their belts

PARIS (Reuters) - Free designer dresses, an army of admirers and $15,000 to stroll down a catwalk: no wonder thousands of teenage girls aspire to being a top model.
But at the haute couture shows in Paris, the leggy blondes in silk dresses who advertise a life of luxury are finding their world turned inside out by the economic crisis.
"Half price! It's half-price everywhere, in Milan, even in New York," cried Anna Chyzh, a 23-year-old from Kiev who had just changed out of a Stephane Rolland haute couture gown into jeans and was headed to the next show
Like many models from Ukraine, Russia and the Balkans, Chyzh regularly sends money home to support her mother, a freelance interior designer who is having trouble finding work because of the downturn.

At Premier Model Management in London, an agency that has represented Claudia Schiffer, clients who used to pay a daily rate of 3,000 pounds ($4,200) are now arriving with a budget of 1,500 pounds, director Aidan Jean-Marie told Reuters. Read the article...


Indian fashion inspired by Mercedes
(02:13) Rough Cut (Video)


Feb 2 - A fashion show in India's entertainment capital Mumbai showcasing a collection inspired by the characteristics of Mercedes Benz draws a huge crowd.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) GAYATRI KHANNA, DESIGNER: "It is a collection for Mercedes Benz, the design and the characteristics it stands for like luxury, strength, power, style and high definition and quality and using all those characteristics we have designed our collection."

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