A US-based mens business clothing company and award-winning film director Woody Allen has agreed to settle what would have been a highly publicized case.

According to reports, mens business clothing giant American Apparel will pay Allen $5 million to settle the damages o the use of the film director’s image in a billboard advertising campaign without permission. The agreement took place at a New York City court.

Last year, American Apparel launched an advertising campaign which featured Allen dressed in Jewish clothing above the company’s logo. The film director was surprised with this and filed a case and demanded $10 million in damages.

Dov Charney, the founder of the apparel company, defended the move at that time, saying that the billboards were only up for about a week and placed in a few streets in Los Angeles and New York. He added that the move was not for commercial reasons but to give out a social statement on how he and Allen are portrayed in the media. Both personalities have been subject to massive media scrutiny due to sexual harassment cases filed against them but were yet to be proven.

Charney maintained that the billboard were not meant to advertise their clothing line.

Model and actress Paulina Porizkova recently revealed that she got fired from the hit reality fashion TV show “America’s Next Top Model” and spoke her mind about what she really thought about the contestants in the show.

According to reports, Porizkova got the boot because of cost-cutting measures made by the show and she got the notice during her birthday.

In an interview, Porizkova said that she voted for the runner-up Allison Harvard and revealed that it was a close fight till the end as the judges voted 3-2 in favor of Harvard.

She stressed that she has no bad blood with the people behind the hit fashion show saying that she had a great time with fellow judges, especially show’s executive producer Tyra Banks.

However, she revealed that it was not only her who got the boot but several employees from the show as well. She added that the retrenchment could not have happened if not for the extra expenses the production is making due to Banks alleged tardiness.

When asked if she has plan on coming back to the show if she gets an offer, Porizkova frankly said that she won’t.

Swedish cosmetics and clothing company H&M have reportedly signed up a dream celebrity fashion collaboration with British company Jimmy Choo, best known for making luxury hand-made ladies shoes.

According to reports,  Jimmy Choo will be producing a line of bags and shoes for H&M. This is on top with the women’s clothing and accessories that are becoming a hit in the market, thanks to the worldwide hit “Sex and The City” where main actress Sarah Jessica Parker has donned on the products that created mass appeal.

The line for H&M is said to be more affordable thus expected to become a hit among shoppers. The products are set for sale in November this year in over two hundred H&M stores worldwide.
In a statement, Jimmy Choo president Tamara Mellon said that she feels honored to be affiliated with H&M considering that the store caters to modern women who are into fashion. She assured the public that their collection for H&M will be accessible to the public but still glamorous.

Mellon also announced that the company is also creating a men’s collection of shoes, clothing and bags. This gives the opposite sex the opportunity to feel glamorous and sexy.

World-renowned fashion designer Oscar de la Renta unveiled the latest line of children’s fashion clothes during his Resort 2010 collection show last Monday in New York.

The colors of the fashion clothes are mostly navy and white but with highlights of bright hues such as red. The designs are superb as expected as scores of intricately designed tweed suits and silky clothes were paraded for the public to see what’s in store for them in the coming months.

De la Renta is reportedly providing women several great choices for their evening wear. It also same goes for the children’s fashion clothes which look cute and comfortable. The eveningwear line was adorned with beads, ruffled roses and other accessories that accentuate the women’s curves.

The ready to wear children’s fashion clothes are said to cost between $200 and $350. This may sound expensive for budget-conscious mothers out there but according to the press release, de la Renta will be donating $100 from the sale of each dress to a charity. The recipients of the proceeds would be the Children’s Defense Fund.

De la Renta is known for his numerous philanthropic endeavors. He’s a board member in several charitable institutions in New York.

Christian Dior SA, popularly known as Dior, is now the latest fashion brand that joined the short film advertising campaign and the person they hired was none other than Academy Award-winning French actress Marion Cotillard.
The short film reportedly cost a large amount with the movie featuring mysterious Lady Noir. The short film premiered earlier this week at the fashion brand’s official website.

The director of the film was none other than Oliver Dahan, who directed Cotillard in the film “La Vie en Rose” which earned her the Oscar.

In the movie, Cotillard as Lady Noir attempted to release a man named “James,” who was tied up in a room. In an effort to release the man, Cotillard was seen running across the French capital using six-inch Dior platforms. Several Dior products were featured on the film including the bag and evening dress.

It can be remembered that another fashion brand Chanel made two short films. The first one featured Nicole Kidman and directed by “Moulin Rouge” Director Baz Luhrman while the most recent one starred “Amelie” star Audrey Tautou and was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Dior’s short film is rumored to be the first of a four-part advertising campaign.

It’s fun and healthy to exercise! Going to the gym has become a ritual to most people everyday. It’s understandable to bring extra gymwear and sneakers. However, there’s also one thing that you should bring along – your manners. Yes, etiquette should also be observed when at this place. Here are some tips that you could implement by heart:

• Keep the volume of your music player at a minimum: It’s best to have an earphone when using your music player and also make sure that the volume is not very loud for other people to hear. It also saves your eardrums from damage.

• Minimize your voice when conversing: If you are talking with a fellow gym member, it’s best to be conscious with other people around you. They might not find it interesting if you are talking about your life story or other gossips at hand.

• Wear appropriate gym clothes: This self-explanatory tip is important since you wouldn’t want other people seeing what should not be seen. Pay special attention to wearing a good fitting your sports bra!

• Don’t stay too long: Give others to use the equipment, especially if that’s the only one available in the gym.

• Wipe off the sweat: If you left some sweat on the equipment, make sure you wipe it off before someone else uses the equipment. You wouldn’t want that to be done on you, right?

Hermes, a popular luxury goods group based in France, revealed earlier this week that its revenues for the first quarter rose impressively despite the hard times due to the rapid rise of demand for its fashion handbags in Asia, specifically South Korea and China.

The sales increased 3.2 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year. This is translated to overall sales revenue of $570 million in that period alone. Most of the consumers preferred Hermes’ luxury line of leather handbags.

This positive development has offset the decline in sales in Japan and Europe. In Europe, the revenues dropped 5.6 percent while in Japan, revenues slid nearly 20 percent due to the currency fluctuation between the yen and euro.

Hermes is known for its Kelly and Birkin fashion handbags which piqued global interest due to positive reviews from celebrities who acquired the product.

The French goods group is optimistic that its sales will maintain the same level that it achieved last year due to positive response to a large market like Asia. The sales revenues last year reached a record 1.76 billion euros.

Popular fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is branching off to reality TV by hosting “The Fashion Show” in Bravo Network. This is on top with his radio show “Tell Me Everything” on Sirius XM.

Mizrahi was seen attending The Spring 2009 Fashion show held at the Belk Southpark in Charlotte, North Carolina last weekend. He basically made a statement by just wearing sandals from Nike and inspiring the crowd with his meaningful statements.

In a recent interview, Mizrahi said that these projects don’t necessarily mean a resurrection of his career since he never left the scene.

The fashion designer previously hosted his own talk show for Oxygen and Style networks. He’s also been an official designer for retail giant Target for five years before leaving the company to help financially-challenged Liz Clairborne stores. His collections for the latter are currently on display nationwide.

As for his radio career, Sirius XM Senior Vice President of Talk and Entertainment Programming Jeremy Coleman said that the fashion designer is a natural, noting that his extensive background in fashion makes him a reliable source of the latest styles and trends.

Mothers can look just as stylist as their daughters. This was the revelation made by style consultant Sherrie Mathieson. Her book “Steal This Style: Moms and Daughters Swap Wardrobe Secrets,” which was released last week, tackles with this matter.

According to Mathieson, most people are usually “stuck in the past” by keeping clothes that no longer flatter their figure. She stressed that choosing clothes can become tricky especially if moms achieve a certain age. However, she said that this doesn’t mean that style should be sacrificed, and that the word “senior” is not applicable when it comes to looking great.

Mathieson said in the book that it’s time to apply the “art of the mix” method when it comes to matching clothes. Her book specifies some great colors that would look great for both mothers and daughters.

The style guru also specified the top five common mistakes in wardrobe choices.

• Stuffing the same clothes in the closet every year without reassessing the look
• Failing to get updated with the latest trends
• Wearing a wrong fitting bra
• Attempting to look young to the point of looking inappropriate
• Not investing on quality accessories
• Not investing on quality clothes

At the end of the day, it really pays off not to commit these mistakes.

My favourite fashion week is the one in Milan. It is the combination of the beautiful clothes, the Italian men, de sunny city and the wonderful food that make it a fantastic experience. Mila is the most sexy fashion week, especially compared to London and Paris.

This year I was especially surprised by the magnificent show of Versace. Donatella played it save this year and went back to the roots of Versace. Her creations showed resemblance to the creations that made the fashion house famous. She showed silk evening dresses, beautifully draped and with a slit up to the thigh. Very sexy, more of a night collection however. We saw dresses in several variations, form asymmetric, to sensual décolleté and strapless dresses. She contrasted the evening dresses with bright coloured coats, tight shorts and beautifully shaped jackets.

In a few words: Pure Italian chic!