Danish brand Trollbeads—famed for its interchangeable charms—has released its Empowerment bracelet, part of a global venture to support individual charities. The bracelet comprises 10 unique pink Murano glass beads on a sterling silver cord and retails at A$190, with some proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia.


   Candice Wren’s pashminas (70 per cent pashmina, 30 per cent silk) are wonderful, combining English heritage with kitsch. All pieces are individually hand-printed, and customers can ask for any of the designs to be printed on the various pashmina shades. Wren can even do custom designs. The standard offerings are priced from £45 to £175.

   We’re delighted to get a message from Jessica Kane, who runs a site called Fatshion Chic. She tells us that she’s the number-one fashion blogger for sizes 26–28 (US): ‘I represent the entrepreneur, the Mom, the mogul and the fashionable plus-size woman. I am a publisher, a designer, a creator.’ It’s excellent to know that people like Kane are bringing greater exposure to larger sizes and making them fashionable—and providing real complements to the same-again press coverage that we tend to see.

   We hear that Untouched World is a sponsor for the Australia–New Zealand Cup Finals on September 7–11. The brand is one of New Zealand’s best known when it comes to social responsibility and sustainability. It’s great to see it team up with the country’s largest ski racing competition, which sees a field of 25 nations competing. And those with eagle eyes will spot that the image above does feature Lucire feature alumna, Miss Universe New Zealand 2007, Laural Barrett.

Snippets today of items we’ve heard but haven’t stopped to do a big story on: Eclectic Eccentricity’s autumn–winter 2010–11 range of hair combs, necklaces and hairbands continues to live up to the company’s “kooky” image, with inspirations from Victoriana and gothic romance. Prices range from c. £12 to £35.
   Meanwhile, in Australia, Avstev has been appointed as the distributor for Ball Watch, a company founded in the US which makes its watches in Switzerland. Expect to see Ball make a bigger splash in Australasia thanks to this new arrangement.
   As part of a charity drive, Girl Guiding New Zealand has nominated September 8 as Bring a Bra day. The aim: to make the world’s longest bra chain. Regardless of the condition of the brassières, Girl Guiding wants to collect them for breast cancer awareness, and break a record at the same time. They need 200,000 bras, stretching 184 km. The high-quality ones will be sent to women who need them in Africa after the attempt. Head to www.brachain.co.nz for collection information, or drop off the bras at Postie shops in New Zealand.
   We’ve also had a glimpse of Miss Universe New Zealand Ria van Dyke’s national costume (below), as pictured last night at the Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas. TV3’s Campbell Live will be filming an interview with her later today Pacific time. The image features also at the official Miss Universe New Zealand site and on the Facebook fan page. Her dress has been designed by La Casa Hermosa, and her headpiece has been designed by Natalie Chan.

Left Miss New Zea­land, Ria van Dyke, sec­ond from the left, flanked by Miss Nether­lands, Désirée van den Berg, Miss Malay­sia, Nadine Ann Thomas, and Miss Nicara­gua, Scharl­lette Allen Moses, with their nation­al cos­tumes at Miss Uni­verse 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16.

The Miss Universe pageant has released a series of video interviews on to YouTube, contrasting previous years where the contestants were featured exclusively on its own site.
   Miss Universe New Zealand Ria van Dyke was asked about her worst dating experience and was given a list of sounds to make—to what end, we’re not sure. Considering the questions in the New Zealand pageant discussed poverty and social change, this would have been quite a contrast for van Dyke.

   Two other photographs have recently been published on the official Miss Universe New Zealand site and its Facebook page. One is from the official Miss Universe charity auction, with van Dyke’s national gift from New Zealand to the Cancer Institute of Nevada. The artwork was generously donated by New Zealand artist Dave Sotogi (www.desotogi.co.nz). The second is from day three of proceedings, featuring Miss Israel, Bat-el Jobi; Miss New Zealand, Ria van Dyke; and Miss Bahamas, Braneka Bassett.

Miss Universe LP, LLLP

Official swimwear photographs of Miss Universe New Zealand 2010, Ria van Dyke, from the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada, have been published. The two pictured here have featured on the official Miss Universe New Zealand website today.
   Fans are invited to vote for Ria van Dyke at the Miss Universe website, where their support can help her win the Miss Photogenic prize.
   The finals will be held on August 23 in Las Vegas, and will air live in the US on NBC and Telemundo from 8 p.m. EST. In New Zealand, it will air on Vibe, one of the Sky TV channels. Pageant owner Donald J. Trump serves as executive producer of the telecast.

Miss Universe New Zealand

It’s rumoured that Kate Moss wants to sell a line of home-made jam, which will probably be a big hit given that her name was the most-searched model on our site last week. There’s a lot of brand equity in Kate Moss.
   Meanwhile, music fans will be delighted to know that MusicHype is giving away free Crowded House tracks. All fans need to do is talk about the band on Twitter and Facebook helping our lads get some extra publicity as they tour North America, and visit MusicHype.
   For fans who want more, they can buy USB sticks of live recordings from each show, for US$25 or NZ$35.
   Once the tour is complete Crowded House will ask their fans to help them create their USB compilation. From the MusicHype website, fans will be able to listen to 20 live Crowded House tracks from the tour and vote for their favourite recordings. The top 12 will make it in to the compilation.
   One of our team, who insists on anonymity, has compiled our accessories’ guide. Pop over and have a gander, and marvel at the lead image of the Meadowlark rings.
   Meanwhile, Ria van Dyke has emailed to say she has settled in to the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. She’s rooming with Miss Israel, Bat-el Jobi (pictured on the left). Miss Israel has traditionally got on with the antipodean contestants and this year is no exception.
   Her first full day began at 5.30 a.m. for a buffet breakfast. Her first photo shoot there, with Fadil Berisha, the official photographer for Miss Universe, took place the same day. More images at the official Miss Universe New Zealand Facebook page.
   The Miss Universe 2010 pageant judges are: Guy Fieri (chef), Ivanka Trump, Carlos Alberto (designer), Nina Garcia (Project Runway judge), Boris Kodjoe (actor and former model), Joan Rivers (comedienne), Joe Levy (magazine editor), Dayana Mendoza (Miss Universe 2008), George Lopez (comedian), and Sharon Osbourne.

Angela Scott

With nine days till she flies off to Miss Universe in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ria van Dyke, Miss New Zealand, has been shot by more photographers than any of her recent predecessors prior to the international pageant.
   Her latest shoot is with Angela Scott, who also photographed van Dyke immediately after her win in Wellington in June 2010.
   Van Dyke’s latest images show a more sultry and sophisticated side, and of the approved photographs, she has added an extra swimwear shot.
   Her official engagements and photographs can be found at the Miss Universe New Zealand website and its Facebook fan page. Her own official site is at riavandyke.com.

If you surf the beauty pageant forums, there are a few queries on how Miss Universe New Zealand 2010, Ria van Dyke, looks in swimwear. Top fashion photographer Neil Gussey photographed Ria in swimwear over the weekend, and Lucire can now reveal four of the approved shots from this session.
   For her supporters, Ria has her official website up at www.riavandyke.com, which has her biography and other photographs.
   The “people’s choice” voting has begun on the Miss Universe website. To show your support, head to Ria’s profile page. You will need to log in. In the three years we’ve been signed up, we have never been bothered by spam from Miss Universe. For those logged in, it’s literally a click on the page.

Jin Cowan

Jin Cowan, the official photographer for the Miss Universe New Zealand pageant, flew to Auckland last week to shoot 2010 winner Ria van Dyke.
   It was van Dyke’s third shoot as Miss Universe New Zealand 2010 that was not part of a press story, after sessions with Angela Scott and Neil Gussey.
   The photographs show a different style for van Dyke, looking resplendent in various evening gowns and jewellery.
   A second shoot with Gussey is planned as van Dyke prepares to head to Las Vegas. She departs for Miss Universe in early August, with the final night held on August 23.