Thierry Mugler today announces a new website, Womanity.com, which aims to connect women in an interactive platform.
   The idea behind Womanity.com is to spark creative exchange between women, says the company, ‘where members can share knowledge, trade experiences, express their creativity, and—above all—have fun.’ Members are invited to share video, photography, and writings with one another.
   The site will also include special guest contributors from the literary, artistic, journalistic, cinematic and fashion industries. It is online today, with full functionality expected by June.
   The site appears to have been developed with the cooperation of Microsoft, whose copyright notice features at the foot of the web page. At first glance, it has a fairly complex appearance.
   In 2007, Thierry Mugler introduced the Blogalaxy, where fans could set up their own blogs to share experiences about the brand. It also created the Island of Dr Muglerstein on Second Life. It has been using ecommerce since September 2007.

On February 11, Kate Moss and Longchamp showcased their new collaboration at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, Paris. On the same day, the company had done the same at Selfridges in London, with both stores featuring a modern, zebra-themed area in which customers can check out the bags close-up.
   Paris shoppers can find Longchamp located at the Mogador entrance of Galeries Lafayette. Large promotional graphics from the campaign adorn not only the exterior on Boulevard Haussmann, but down from the famous domed roof inside the store.
   The launch of the Longchamp suite at Galeries Lafayette on the Grands Boulevards follows the January 27 announcement of the co-branded Kate Moss for Longchamp collaboration at the Ritz.
   Moss herself had modelled for the brand before. This was her first designer collaboration with the company.
   The video below features behind-the-scenes footage from the commercial.

MAC has unveiled its latest Viva Glam campaign, featuring Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper. Proceeds from the sale of its Viva Glam VII lipsticks will benefit the MAC Aids Fund.
   The spring 2010 edition sees two new lipstick shades, with a light coral red lustre bearing Lauper’s name and a light blue–pink lustre with Lady Gaga’s.
   The collection hits counters on March 1, retailing at NZ$40.
   The MAC Aids Fund will announce $2·5 million in new donations to fund model programmes that address the vulnerabilities and inequities that place women at increased risk for HIV and Aids, says the company.
   To date, the MAC Aids Fund has already raised over $150 million to combat HIV and Aids.
   ‘I think it’s absolutely insane that some people have fewer rights than others, and I’m grateful that MAC has decided to focus on women while I’m a Viva Glam spokesperson. I have so much to say and so much to share, and I’m going to let my lips and lipstick do the talking!’ says Lauper in a release.
   ‘I’ve been familiar with the campaign and have been wearing MAC since I was 10 years old. To be joining the likes of iconic former Viva Glam spokespeople is an honour. My new Viva Glam lipstick colour is amazing. It’s very me—a bluish pink, great for every day, a little bit ’80s. I hope that women buy this lipstick, and honour themselves and honour the cause,’ says Lady Gaga.

Ryan McGinley

Levi’s and Opening Ceremony have announced a co-branded venture with a US-made range of cords. The spring 2010 collection, entitled Levi’s Cords by Opening Ceremony, takes the Levi’s 505 jean as a base and introduces a new palette of colours including teal, fuchsia, lavender, olive, curry, navy and optical white.
   In addition to the unisex corduroys, there are unisex cut-off shorts, unisex button-down shirts and men’s and women’s trucker jackets.
   Photographer Ryan McGinley shot the campaign.

Left Jean-Luc Colonna d’Istria of Merci. Right Medinge director and MIP dean Pierre d’Huy translates for Dominique Benoît of Pictet et Cie. Below The Brands with a Conscience certificate, designed by UffindellWest.

The Medinge Group had a slightly smaller Brands with a Conscience ceremony today at the Management Institute of Paris, reflecting the international nature of the winners. Many were scattered around the globe and unable to attend the ceremony, though two of the European winners made it to the French capital to collect their awards in person: Jean-Luc Colonna d’Istria of Merci and Pictet et Cie.’s Dominique Benoît.
   Stanley Moss, CEO of the Medinge Group, noted that it was remarkable that in a year of financial crises, there were two winners from that sector that were doing good. Apart from Pictet, the Co-op Bank received a Brands with a Conscience award.
   The seventh annual awards’ programme also honoured Alibaba Group, Marks & Spencer (for its Plan A initiative), SAP and Selco Solar Pvt. Ltd. Muna Abu Sulayman won the Colin Morley Award and a letter from her was read out in absentia by Medinge member Simon Nicholls.
   Medinge founder Thomas Gad noted that the Awards had become so successful that they had spawned at least one imitator.

Mini has tried to extend its range while it was under British ownership, but it seems, as with so many things automotive, the Germans have been more successful. BMW has announced that the regular Mini hatch, the Mini convertible and the Mini Clubman will be joined by the five-door Mini Countryman, a taller SUV-style model with more practicality.
   Although BMW has not said so, it’s likely to be joined by a lower, two-wheel-drive model in the near future.
   The new model lacks the cuteness of the originals, but it may be very successful for the lifestyle brand. While it might not get new SUV owners, it might get those who are downsizing and who still want something stylish.
   The Countryman name was originally used by the British Motor Corp. to denote estate car versions of its saloons.

Adidas kicked off its Star Wars collaboration in Wellington, New Zealand on Friday with a themed party, compèred by DJ Shan.
   A selection of the new designs were shown, with a promise of more to come in following weeks. Both limited-edition as well as mass-market items were shown, and classic Adidas Originals track tops and sneakers have been modified to feature scenes and characters from the movies.
   Local Star Wars buffs got in to the mood with the Empire outnumbering the Jedis—though I noticed they did not take kindly to my intentionally misplaced quips of ‘Live long and prosper,’ and, ‘Party on, Darth.’
   Passers-by loved the vibe and asked to have their photographs taken outside the Adidas store.
   Adidas had one of the best spreads on offer from any do I can remember in Wellington, thanks to catering by Oriental Bay restaurant, Beach Babylon.—Jack Yan

Mert & Marcus

Above Megan Fox is the latest celebrity to front a fashion label’s campaign.

In the main part of the Lucire site this week, Samantha Hannah makes her first 10 style picks for ’10, for the southern summer in New Zealand. Elyse Glickman, meanwhile, discovers there’s more to choosing jewellery for the bride, and investigates.
   Likely to be the biggest article of the trio is one tied to a celebrity, in this case, Megan Fox, from the Transformers series. While we’ve already featured Karen Elson for St John Knits this week, along with Georgia May Jagger for Versace, Armani has decided it would not be outdone and released many of its spring–summer 2010 advertising images featuring the heart-throb actress.
   We have to admit to being surprised by Fox’s choice; she is, nevertheless, someone with the high profile that Armani enjoys. The Tennessee-born actress’s appeal, we thought, was limited to teenage and 20-something young men, and our very quick, unscientific poll of a few indicates she’s not considered by women to be in the same league as some of the more familiar models—or, for that matter, another curvy, high-profile actress, Scarlett Johansson.
   However, if it’s headlines Armani wants, Megan Fox will deliver them.

Afingo (www.afingo.com) says its new website, newly launched this month, will connect fashion designers directly to their audiences in a social network.
   ‘For consumers, Afingo.com will give exclusive access to learn about the latest fashion trends directly from their favourite designers. Designers and retailers can share behind-the-scenes industry information with customers in exchange for immediate consumer reviews and opinions,’ says its release today.
   ‘The multi-functional fashion portal allows consumers to offer input directly to designers and retailers about their collections, provides designers with necessary information to give consumers exactly what they want, assists retailers by selling products directly to consumers and helps “in the biz” suppliers to develop a thriving business.’
   Consumers will be able to rate designs from their profile pages, while designers can post look books and give information on when new products become available to the public.
   The site will also connect retailers, providing store location information and contact with designers.
   Basic membership is free, with VIP access for consumers beginning at US$49 per annum. Designers and retailers can expect a fee of US$29·99 per month or US$299 per annum beginning in February.
   The site has been founded by Canadian-born Liza Deyrmenjian. Moe Somani serves as COO.

Each time the Air New Zealand uniforms get redone, there are always comments from around the country, given that the airline is the national carrier. This time, the colour of the cabin crew dress might raise some eyebrows.
   The ground crew options revealed tonight are smart and contemporary. The ‘twilight pink’ cabin crew dress is a stark departure from previous designs.
   The designs are the creation of designer Trelise Cooper, whose work replaces the uniforms conceived by Zambesi.
   Air New Zealand points out that the designs are not final and there will be additional consultation with its staff. Inflight concierges, pilots and other workgroups’ uniforms are still under development.
   The uniforms are expected to début alongside a new fleet of Boeing 777-300 aircraft, though there is no announcement of whether the Air New Zealand brand will be shifting around that time.
   The previous designs by Zambesi were considered to have pushed the envelope, and not universally embraced at first, before becoming accepted. Cooper’s work might follow a similar pattern.

Last year, we had quite a few stories on Burberry, including news of actress Emma Watson at its London Fashion Week party.
   The actress is clearly in the Zeitgeist these days: Watson, now the face of the brand, has débuted her second series of advertisements for the British label.
   She’s also particularly recognizable, thanks to the mass appeal of the Harry Potter films.
   Shot by Mario Testino, Watson appears in campaigns for all three Burberry sub-brands: Burberry Prorsum, Burberry London and Burberry Brit. Young brother Alex Watson is among the male models who join her.
   Watson is currently a freshman at Brown University.

Above Mario Testino and Emma Watson, photographed in September.

It’s quite a way to kick off our news coverage for the year: the opening of the Burj Khalifa, standing 828 m (2,716½ ft). Giorgio Armani has announced that it will open Armani Hotel Dubai in the world’s tallest building on March 18.
   The hotel is the first to open under the collaboration between Giorgio Armani SpA and Emaar Properties PJSC.
   The hotel has been designed by Armani and marks the designer’s début into the hospitality sector.
   The company says the Armani Hotel Dubai will be the most exclusive destination in the city.
   Online bookings commence later this month, with registrations now being taken at www.armanihotels.com.
   Milano will be launched next, with a resort planned for Marrakech and Armani Residences villas for Marassi, Egypt.

Tyra Banks has announced that her daytime talk show will end, with the last episodes to be made in the spring.
   Even after the end of production, the show will continue to air for 2010–11, though with best-of episodes, says Variety.
   The Tyra Show began in 2005, and has won Daytime Emmys in 2008 and 2009.
   Banks says her plans after the show ends will be to focus on a new film company, Bankable Studios. In addition, she would continue to be involved with reality series America’s Next Top Model and True Beauty.

Bentley has extended its brand again, this time to hand-made skis from Switzerland.
   The skis, poles and ski bag have been created by Zai with input from Bentley’s Styling Studio.
   The Zai skis are made in a limited edition of 250 numbered pairs, and début a new type of carbonfibre dubbed Zaiìra. The ski poles feature a new technology, ExoGrid, which blends titan and carbon fabric, reducing weight.
   The skis are priced at €6,800, Sfr 9,800 or £5,800, and will be available to order from January 2010.

Chelfyn Baxter

Above The author with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage in 2006.

[Cross-posted] Autocar is currently talking about what was the car of the decade. I remember in 1989, the magazine ran a series on the most beautiful cars of each decade, and named the most significant. That decade, the Ford Sierra was the most significant, for mainstreaming the aero look, an assessment I agree with.
   One of its writers has named the Audi R8 his choice, and the magazine is doing a poll, asking readers to vote on theirs. The magazine has provided a list, which includes the Hyundai i10 (important for the Indian motor industry’s global exports) and the Toyota Prius NHW20 (but what does it really pioneer than the original NHW10 did not?).
   What surprises me is that the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is not on its list. You can write it in, but how come this very British of automobiles is missing?
   I know the 911 beats it dynamically on every count. I know it’s not as powerful as the bigger DB9. On the other hand, it looks the business, and the only area where it stirs the soul more than its looks is its sound.
   It’s the opposite of the attractive woman who sounds common the minute she opens her mouth. The V8, more than the DB9, and more than the 911, seduces you a second time when you open her up.
   What it does represent is the survival of a brand, and how to do a downward brand extension without losing too much exclusivity.
   While the V8 Vantage means that more footballers are able to get their hands on one without getting into the Premier League, at least it has assured Aston Martin’s survival for the decade—and a good part of the coming one.
   For most of my lifetime, Aston Martin Lagonda has really been a single-range marque with the occasional four-door model that broke down.
   Now it fields a wider product range of the V8, DB9, DBS and Rapide, and we haven’t even looked at the limited-edition models.
   It was a downmarket extension that was not botched. For a lesson on how not to do it, one need look no further than the Jaguar X-type, which was Detroit’s way of taking on BMW’s 3er.
   One of my friend and colleague Stanley Moss’s Medinge papers dealt with this very topic, indicating that the Europeans did downmarket forays better.
   How ironical, in this case, that both these examples happened while Ford ran Aston and Jaguar. However, one might say that Aston was left more to its own devices than Jaguar was.
   In addition, the V8 Vantage made Aston Martin a brand that kids could point at and dream about. When I was a child, the car with the same name, which was based on the original DBS, was a brute, but it was never the star of my bedroom wall. It was not cool in the way the Porsche 930 was cool. Or the Lamborghini Countach.
   Sure, the V8 did not mobilize the masses nor did it present a new technology.
   But for Autocar readers, I suggest they enter this model in for its significance to the Aston marque, to British ingenuity, and for a reassuring dose of patriotism.