Model and actress Kelly Brook was recently photographed while on holiday in Brazil wearing a bikini that was not part of her swimwear range. According to reports, Brook is currently designing a swimwear range for New Look.

The 32 year old Brook did not wear one of the bikinis that she designed while on holiday in Brazil with her cousin Sally Griffiths. Instead, she wore a colourful two piece bikini that she reportedly bought from a local beach vendor. Brook and Griffiths were on holiday in Trancoso, a town situated in Porto Seguro in the state of Bahia.

Brook’s bikini had red, purple, green and yellow trimmings - very representative of the colours abundant in Brazil’s local scene. The blonde beauty also wore friendship bracelets around her left ankle and a pair of dark sunglasses.

To update her Twitter followers, Brook also posted a message on her Twitter page. She also shared a photo of herself holding a coconut. She wrote: ‘Breakfast time…. Grab the Coconuts!!’

The former Big Breakfast host was in Brazil on holiday before she focused on work again. She’s set to join the cast of a new sci-fi fantasy film dubbed “Heavy Metal.”

Meanwhile, showbiz kibitzers say that Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden most likely insulted Brook when she praised panelist Alesha Dixon. Holden reportedly said that Dixon had a “brain” - and that kibitzers believe that Holden most probably insinuated that Brook did not.

A former Victoria’s Secret model is set to launch her very own swimwear line. Former Victoria’s Secret angel Selita Ebanks recently disclosed her plans to launch her very own swimwear line.

In a recent party held to celebrate popular shoe designer Christian Louboutin’s 20th anniversary in New York City, Ebanks announced that she will soon release her own swimwear line.

Ebanks’ boyfriend Terrence J was actually the first one to mention the plan but the former bikini and swimwear model seconded it. “She’s launching her own fashion line!” Terrance declared. Selita added: “Oh yeah! I’m launching my own swimwear collection.”

The Caymanian model said that she wanted her swimwear line pieces to be fresh and of good quality. She said that she wanted women who travel a lot and spend time on yachts to be adequately taken care of.

“I just feel like a woman should be able to go from the pool, the yacht, the beach, straight to dinner with her boo and still be fabulous and chic,” she explained.

Ebanks has not divulged the name of her own swimwear line just yet. The Caymanian fashion model, who used to be engaged to Nick Cannon, also said that she will also soon engage in the production and design of accessories, shoes as well as beach cover-ups.

“There’s a long process of learning, you know, what a dart really is, hems, fabric, and testing things out — trial and error,” she said.

Ebanks was a Victoria’s Secret Angel from 2005 to 2008.

Journelle, a Luxury lingerie seller which makes available products to the contemporary woman, brought their know-how and extensive selection of lingerie to New York’s well-heeled Upper East Side when it opened its fourth store last November 26, 2011. It is located at 1266 Third Avenue. The 1,200-square-foot store is the third Journelle outlet in the City of New York, and its furnishings reflects the approach of Journelle’s current locations with designs implemented by the famous London-based Von Preussen Pease Reynolds Architects.

Journelle is a designer lingerie store that is designed to offer women with lingerie that go with their individual sense of inner and outward beauty. Journelle’s notion for the ultimate customer experience concentrates on modest luxury. The fresh location features a lot of the same basics that they have carried in all of their other store branches, from known brands like Chantelle, La Perla and Elle McPherson. Over and above these styles, the newly opened location will also provide more lavish pieces from designers like Jenny Packham and I. D. Sarrieri that will surely appeal to the Upper East Side clientele.

The founder, Claire Chambers said that they are very excited to open their fourth store on New York’s Upper East Side. And they are looking forward to sharing their love of lingerie and the beautiful products they carry with the people in the great neighbourhood.

Journelle was founded in New York City in year 2007, and is categorized as an elegant lingerie store. Now having three locations in New York and one other branch in Miami, Florida, over and above a growing e-commerce business, Journelle is known for its high-class and premium lingerie items and flawless presentation. Journelle unquestionably provides a selection of lingerie that has been tastefully selected and assessed and they focus on providing customers with a compassionate, expert assistance.

On the ‘Style’ page of a leading daily newspaper there is a “one item, six looks, any age” advertisement.  The item on parade is a pair of corduroy trousers.  The six looks are as follows:

The first model wears the trousers with an interesting leather and wool coat, unusual because the full length sleeves are of black leather whilst the remainder of the coat is in a woollen black and white small check.  Over the cords, the coat looks stream-lined and neat whilst the wide front fastening is ideal to present a light coloured plain top underneath.

The second look is called ‘School Run’ and features the corduroy trousers turned-up at the ankles.  A shirt and waistcoat complete this casual outfit.

Model number three is wearing the cords on a ‘First Date’.  She looks distinctive in a short jacket with shaped waist over a bohemian blouse, whilst a floppy hat finalises her image.

A pair of ordinary corduroy trousers is not usually associated with a night at the opera but with lush velvet in the form of a belted blazer over a glamorous top, then the dress code is accomplished.

The parade of models continues with a fifth look called ‘Meet The Parents’ whereby a high collared short sleeved top looks demure when teamed with a casual, warm looking jacket.

And finally, for shopping, the cords are partnered with a comical, printed knitted jumper.

Leopard is in.  Zebra was never out.  According to fashion writers, animal print designs on dresses, jackets, accessories etc, go in cycles, and this year it is the turn of the leopard.   At one time only super-models could get away with wearing slinky dresses in animal prints but Bet Lynch from Coronation Street eased the way for the general public.

Critics claim that animal prints look vulgar but the general reply is that if you are elegant in the first place, you will still be elegant in a tiger skin jacket or coat.  An entire dress or coat will look sophisticated as long as it is made from a quality fabric with a good cut.  Nevertheless, even a leopard skin bag or shoes will give zest to any dress or coat.

In the cold winter months, a leopard skin coat or jacket certainly possesses a textural and tactile appeal, being warm, furry and soft.  Moreover, the distinctive pattern is eye-catching.

Katie Holmes has been captured on camera recently wearing an animal print coat.  Poppy Delevingne has likewise been seen in a jacket.

In 2003, designers such as John Galliano, Roberto Cavalli and Helmut Lang championed animal print fashions and with a seal of approval by the likes of Kate Moss they went main stream.

New York is always updated with the latest fashion. No wonder the $55 billion fashion industry in this city will get additional six projects from the government to ensure that grown is in place. These projects were announced by Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel on Tuesday.

The programs will reportedly focus on the production financing wherein emerging fashion designers will have the opportunity to showcase their work and even improve their craft with advanced business training.

A retail competition will be set in place wherein the winner gets the chance to have the top mentoring and support to executive his or her store concept.

Brands, including lingerie companies have seen great success with their ranges is the Big Apple; with products such as Freya, Panache, and Fantasie Bras doing particularly well.

In a statement, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the city is the fashion capital of the world and the factors that made the city as such have encouraged competition from other leading fashion cities and that encourages him to come up with better projects for the industry.

Television and film have played a significant role in setting fashion trends. Programmes like Doctor Who, Sex and the City, the X-Files and Miami Vice have embraced celebrity fashions. The characters in Sex and the City are often wearing sexy lingerie in scenes.

In the case of Star Trek, a sub cultural look was incorporated into mainstream fashion. Films that have had a major impact on fashion are ‘Gone with The Wind’ (1939) ‘Rebel without A Cause’ (1955) ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ (1961) and ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994). Breakfast in Tiffany’s (1961) is an adequate illustration of the bohemian look of the late 1950’s being fully absorbed. The women wear men’s shirts over tight trousers or pedal-pushers in this film.

Musical styles also influence fashion, for instance, Rock ‘n Roll enticed teenage girls to wear full, knee length skirts on dance floors, boldly printed with polka dots or large checks. Cats, leopards and poodles were poplar motifs to decorate the swirly skirts along with braiding in readable mottos. By the Sixties, flared skirts were still the rage but worn with tight-fitting knitwear. Another style, totally unsuitable for the dance floor, was the tight fitting sheath dress. This short body-hugging dress was often adorned with a flying panel in the same or contrasting material. At this time shorter length cocktail dresses were first seen.

If we are in accordance with the celebrities who like wearing knee-high boots, then we are following in the steps of Kate Moss, Carine Roitfield and Caroline Sieber to name but a few.  The Middleton sisters, Kate and Pippa, may also have influenced us, in particular the Duchess who now ranks highest as one of the nation’s most influentially attired women, according to the prestigious magazine Harper’s Bazaar.  The Duchess is photographed regularly in British designer clothes, for example, a neat three-quarter length sleeved dress, courtesy of Erdem; Alice Temperley; and Amanda Wakely.  Many of the high-street items she wears become sell-outs.

Another well-known face, Karen Gillan from Dr Who fame, has been caught in a snapshot recently wearing a skirt or dress in the becoming style of above the knee along with over-the-knee socks.   A resemblance to socks worn in the Sixties is no coincidence as she is cast to play the model Jean Shrimpton in a forthcoming film.

Knee-high boots look good on both sturdy, tall women and those who are tiny and boyish.  Skirts and dresses worn with boots for evening events can be of heavy crepe, jersey, raw silk and any plain-coloured matt-finish fabric.  To look perky and smart in the daytime then crisp, sheer cotton skirts or dresses are suitably light-weight.

Familiar names such as Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez, when attending a recent fashion event (‘Glamour’ magazine ceremony in New York) were both wearing evening gowns with split skirts. Moreover, in London at a Harper’s Bazaar function, Yasmin Le Bon was similarly attired in a split skirt. Is it possible that we can all look assured, elegant and relaxed in a split skirt?

The style of dress is surely one key to achieve this cosmopolitan look. It should be soft, fluid and relaxed. If too body-hugging or severe then some gracefulness is lost. A split skirt in colours that are too bright or garish is not tasteful at a formal event. The aim is to blend in and not to colour-clash with other guests at the event.

In addition to this, as a split skirt will reveal a fair amount of leg, hosiery should be toned with the shoes. Furthermore, the shoes themselves must be impeccably clean and shiny without overpowering the dress.

Another contributing factor to looking cultivated and stylish when wearing a split skirt dress is jewellery and bags. These accessories should not be in extreme styles that will outshine the dress. Chanel-style costume jewellery would certainly give a dressy polish to complete a refined look.

Sir Paul McCartney’s daughter, Stella, has made a name for herself in the fashion industry. Stella is to show her latest collection in 2012 at the London Fashion Week. There is one notable dress designed by her, named the ‘Octavia’ dress. It costs £885.00 and is therefore within the reaches of actresses such as Kate Winslet who wore a white version of this Octavia dress to the Venice Film Festival in September. Apparently, she was so pleased with it she selected the same ‘Octavia’ dress but in red, for the premiere of her latest film, ‘Carnage’.

So what is the appeal of the dress in question. The answer is that it is cleverly cut to give the impression of a sculpted waist. This can also be achieved with the help of lingerie.
A basque will give the hour glass shape. The result is an agreeably slimming outline with the emphasis on a slender looking waist.

Although she shows her collections in Paris, elements of her first three collections were made in a factory situated by the River Irwell in Salford, Manchester. High-quality coats and jackets are manufactured here and prestigious names such as Aquascutum, John Lewis and Burberry have commissioned their services. Prices are not low with a trench coat at £360; Guernsey sweater £170; coach jacket £185; and wax jacket £495.