Hennes & Mauritz says it will open a store in the Philippines, its first foray into the southeast Asian region. The flagship store will open in 2014 inside SM Megamall, Manila. The company has already inked the deal.
   Another 2014 event is Women Expo Switzerland (WES), the only creative women’s exhibition in Switzerland, will take place on May 25 at the Messe Zürich.
   With 700 m² space, it will be dedicated to the fashion industry (both B2B and B2C) with direct sales, fashion shows and workshops, say organizers.
   The previous edition saw over 100 exhibitors and attracted 1,000 visitors from Switzerland, the UK, Germany and France. Organizers presently seek exhibitors and visitors. Their website is at www.womenexpo.ch, and a video from the 2013 event (in German and English) is below.

   Almost on the opposite side of the spectrum, publisher Jack Yan has a humorous look at the late Lewis Collins, whose passing was reported yesterday in the media, in Lucire Men. The actor was best known for his role in The Professionals, arguably the most macho TV show in 1970s Britain.
   Finally, Victoria’s Secret says it has opened a beauty and accessories’ store at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, focusing on ‘iconic, fashion-forward range of beauty products and accessories designed for the modern jet-setter.’
   Items include fragrances such as Victoria’s Secret Bombshell, Sexy Little Things Noir Tease, Victoria, and VS Fantasies, and lip glosses and body care products.

This week’s Instagram pics include two of Lucire’s own, publisher Jack Yan and fashion editor Sopheak Seng. Sopheak shows his excitement for seeing his fabulous styling on a banner for the local Wellington Cup Carnival, while Jack is with the designer of Mardle, Shiana Weir, at an event hosted by her label and TwoWorlds, Design Cartel, Desiree, and Nevada Brown.
   In other Kiwi news, X-Factor runner-up Benny Tipene promotes his new single coming out on December 6: in a very attractive manner I might add. Meanwhile Lorde and David Little attend the New Zealand Music Awards both wearing New Zealand’s own, Zambesi.
   British pop-sensation, Rita Ora, celebrates her 23rd birthday in style with a truly scrumptious-looking cake. Over in LA, fashion-blogging superstar Rumi Neely is seen in not one, but two Australian labels. She wears the Vampire Skirt by Friend of Mine and Light Ceramic top by Bec & Bridge—doesn’t she look fabulous?
   Current it-girl Jennifer Lawrence, fondly known here at the office as J-Law, promotes her massive new blockbuster and the second in the terrific Hunger Games series, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Now showing at cinemas, it’s a definite must-see. Last but not least, Doutzen Kroes posts a drool-worthy shot of herself in sexy Christmas themed lingerie: included purely due to its extreme hotness.—Anna Deans

Above As shown on Facebook yesterday, a banner ad campaign has launched promoting the print and tablet editions of Lucire, even though issue 31 has been published for some weeks.

If you haven’t checked it out already, you should do so: Lucire issue 31 is out. Since the print editions are collectible, limited editions, they don’t really date—we still keep going back to earlier ones at the office as references—and have in-depth insights into the fashion world. Intelligently written, with an independent voice, and put together by a small global team, Lucire continues to pioneer as we hit the mid-2010s. That’s why you can also order it as a tablet edition.
   The latest issue features Summer Rayne Oakes on making an impact in the modelling world; a review of autumn–winter looks by Tiffany Fernando, with visuals by Doug Rimington; an interview with Stephen Jones, OBE, one of the great names in millinery, by Jack Yan; Elina Lukas’s Copenhagen Fashion Week diary; Elyse Glickman’s interview with Daisy Fuentes; and David Machowski’s exploration of maple syruping in New England. There’s plenty more, including shoots by Angelika Buettner, Dorit Thies, Brett Stanley and Doug Rimington, including two styled by Lucire fashion editor Sopheak Seng.
   The URL is now much easier to remember: lucire.com/print. You can order it for tablets or as a very exclusive print edition through this link, or at the link at the top of the page if you’re surfing on our full web edition.
   Also easy to remember is our video player, regularly updated with entertainment, fashion, beauty and lifestyle news and tips. You can find that at lucire.tv: we’re finally putting that URL to the use we envisaged for it.
   As we begin December, Lucire is getting our bases covered. Please let us know via Facebook or our feedback form if you have any thoughts or story ideas. It’s the tip of the iceberg, as we have plenty more to announce in the New Year.

Mark Tantrum

Nespresso and Wellington seem to be natural bedfellows: Wellingtonians pride themselves on a decent cup, while Nespresso aims to bring the café experience into the home with its high-pressure machines as well as its gourmet coffees. And while Wellingtonians love supporting their local brands, Nespresso’s new upscale boutique on Lambton Quay, which opened last week, appeals to those who want not only to replicate the coffee professionals make, but customize their blend exactly to their tastes.
   The 21 Nespresso grands crus include a coffee for every palate, while the range of coffee machines seems to grow regularly with more innovations.
   Hosted by Guillaume Chesneau, Nespresso’s country manager who travelled from Auckland, and in the presence of HE the Swiss Ambassador Mario Weichelt Krupski, the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon John Key, Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, and actor–director Taika Waititi, the launch of the Wellington boutique was suitably classy and in line with the swish gadgetry Nespresso is known for. Wellington personalities such as famed restaurateur Martin Bosley, Museum Art Hotel proprietor Chris Parkin, Yellow Brick Road’s Rachel Taulelei, and The Wellingtonista editor Joanna McLeod were present, too, while Lucire was represented by fashion editor Sopheak Seng and publisher Jack Yan. Warren Maxwell (Ngāi Tūhoe) performed live music.
   The PM relayed in his speech that of the Key household’s two coffee machines—one very expensive, professional one, and the consumer-market Nespresso—it was the latter that was still working, before noting that he would support the grands crus in the blue packaging in advance of the 2014 General Election.
   Waititi, meanwhile, was responsible for the artwork outside the store, made out of Nespresso capsules (it can be seen on this fan site on Tumblr).
   The boutique is located at 215–29 Lambton Quay, Wellington, New Zealand.

Mark Tantrum

While some designers strive to create an ideal vision of the perfect female customer, others choose to let their customer use fashion to define their own definition of perfection. Annah Stretton, now easing her way into to the US and other countries’ markets via her jaunty online boutiques, fits the second category and does it with the flair of one of her famously fitted jackets. I discovered this on my 2010 visit to Wellington when in town to cover the Cocktail World Cup (of 42 Below vodka notoriety).
   Soon after I purchased my first Annah-designed investment-piece jacket (which still turns fashionista heads here in LA three years on), Lucire publisher Jack Yan filled me in on her other accomplishments in publishing and public speaking. In 2013, she succeeded in getting my attention again, and not just because of all of the curve flattering frocks and expanded number of shops. Shortly after I arrived in Wellington, on the heels of covering the Food and Wine Classic (FAWK) in Hawke’s Bay, a cartoon incarnation of Annah peeked up at me from one of the stacks at the Lucire offices.
   Rock the Boat (her third effort), content-wise, is focused on a core readership of success-driven New Zealand women. The business leaders and movers-and-shakers, therefore, will be more recognizable to that group. However, from the perspective of an outsider (an American woman) looking in, this book is still a fun read with a lot of very positive messages and life lessons. Although it is obvious why she’s billed as the New Zealand answer to Oprah, one has to appreciate that she’s made sure her own larger-than-life persona does not overshadow the input and impact made by her “guest stars” (including the equally vibrant Cuisine publisher Ray McVinnie, who MCed several FAWK events, as well as World of Wearable Art founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff, and Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts). This, in turn, turns readers not familiar with New Zealand personality, culture and industry to read on, learn and be genuinely inspired.
   From a design standpoint, Rock the Boat, like her spring–summer 2013–14 collection of frocks, tempts a reader to pick it up and try some things on for size. Though æsthetically some of this year’s dresses and this year’s book chapters may be a little too busy visually, other visually appealing chapters will fit and feel just right for an individual reader. Then again, that’s the beauty of the new generation of eclectic, self-help and motivational books aiming for a wide readership. Not every idea or message will be a fit, but chances are if you shop around—especially on this Stretton-led cruise—you will get some divine inspiration when charting your own course.—Elyse Glickman, US West Coast Editor

David M. Benett/Getty Images

Above Rita Ora at the Rimmel 180th anniversary party in London.

Rita Ora might be already working with Rimmel, as shown in our earlier article on Rimmel’s 180th anniversary party in London, as well as DKNY, but there’s a chance she could be designing for Adidas.
   In our video, there has been a rumour that Ora has signed a $2·4 million contract with a sportswear brand, and since the star favours Adidas anyway, it’s likely the German sportswear giant is her new collaborator.
   Raf Simons and Stella McCartney have both collaborated with the brand in the past.
   As we catch up on coverage now that our publisher’s returned after his election campaign, several features have appeared in the main part of our site.
   US West Coast editor Elyse Glickman attended the Emmy suites in Hollywood, while Paris editor Lola Saab hit the GBK suite in New York. Anna Deans reviews Vic Matié’s spring–summer 2014 shoe collection and finds it hard to choose a favourite; and travel editor Stanley Moss takes the back streets of Verona.
   As we’ve put many updates via Facebook now, RSS subscribers may have missed earlier stories from the Paris haute couture collections, travel to Toscana and Amsterdam, our features on beauty entrepreneur Michael Hogg, Jade Muirhead and Tessa Metcalfe, an irreverent look at the Biennale di Venezia, and road tests of the Renault Koleos and BMW 320i Edition 30. There’s more in the fashion, ‘Living’ and ‘Volante’ sections as you click through.

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo walked the catwalk for designer Tony Ward at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia in Moscow at the weekend.
   Culpo was joined by 27 Miss Universe contestants from Australia, Singapore, Sweden, Venezuela, Great Britain, France, Japan, Spain, Canada, Russia, Thailand, USA and other countries for the show on Saturday evening, in cooperation with Crocus Atelier Couture.
   Ward is a Lebanese designer specializing in extravagant evening gowns, particularly suiting Miss Universe and this year’s contestants. He studied in Paris and had worked with Lanvin, Gianfranco Ferré at Dior and Karl Lagerfeld at Chloé.
   The Miss Universe final will take place on November 9 at the Crocus City Hall, Krasnogorsk, Moscow.
   Representing New Zealand, Holly Michelle Cassidy, of Auckland, joined the Miss Universe contestants on October 23. Her crowning on October 5 marked the competition’s return to television after 21 years, with a live broadcast from the Sky City Theatre.
   The itinerary for the Miss Universe contestants this week include video taping at a sponsor event and a resort day at Agalarov Estate. The 2013 contestants have already visited Red Square, the Kremlin and the Bolshoi Theatre as part of their tour.

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Kristina Nikishina/Getty Images

Ross Martin

The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s most anticipated production of the year, the Vodafone season of Swan Lake, commenced Thursday night at the St James Theatre in Wellington. It’s another triumph for the company, riding high on its 60th anniversary year.
   Choreographed by the legendary Russell Kerr (after Petipa–Ivanov), everything came together on opening night. The NZSO’s performance of the Tchaikovsky score was faultless under the baton of Nigel Gaynor, while principal guest artist Gillian Murphy (as Odette and Odile) showed again a stage presence that captivated with professionalism and grace. Guest artist Karel Cruz of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, dancing the role of Siegfried, was purposeful in his movements while showing an innate beauty. The late Kristian Frederikson’s designs, for the costumes and sets, still captivate since their début in 2007, especially the opulent royal outfits and sets in the castle scenes. John Buswell’s lighting was used to brilliant effect, especially in Act III, where von Rothbart’s trickery is revealed. It’s one ballet from the RNZB that manages to delight and it’s more likely to elicit return visits than many others, in our opinion, not just for the familiar story but for the expertise in its execution on every level.
   It was a pleasure to see the iconic Kerr, New Zealand’s most celebrated choreographer, now 83, join the dancers and Gaynor on stage at the end. While we never saw Kerr’s acclaimed 1996 production of Swan Lake for the RNZB—a year before this publication was founded—it is easy to imagine how even more ground-breaking it was then. And as in 1996, Sir Jon Trimmer had the role of Wolfgang, the Prince’s tutor.
   The Wellington performances were dedicated to the recently deceased theatre pioneer Richard Campion, whose name is on the original trust deed of the New Zealand Ballet Company.
   The Australian Ballet’s principal artist Amber Scott will alternate with Murphy, while New Zealand-born Australian Ballet principal artist Ty King-Wall will alternate with Cruz. The Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Carla Körbes had to withdraw due to an injury.
   The programme revealed a congratulatory note from HRH Prince Charles to the Royal New Zealand Ballet on its 60th anniversary.
   The première of the Vodafone season of Swan Lake will remain at the St James Theatre till July 27, and tours to seven other centres, including Dunedin, Christchurch, Invercargill, Takapuna, Auckland, Palmerston North and Napier, where the season closes on September 1. Full details can be found at the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s website. The Auckland Philharmonia accompanies the RNZB in Auckland performances, while the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra will perform in its home city. Other cities will use a recording of the NZSO’s score, conducted by Nigel Gaynor, recorded at the St James on July 25, 2013.—Jack Yan, Publisher