Choi targets both artistry and sales

Chief Designer of Johnny Hates Jazz hopes to expand market to Asia and U.S.This is the first of a series of articles on up-and-coming South Korean designers. ― Ed.It has been a while since the fashion savvy girls in South Korea first started to recognize Johnny Hates Jazz. The brand’s hip but classy collections are attracting not only so-called fashionistas like actress Gong Hyo-jin but also many

June 22, 2011

World’s biggest emerald shines in Colombia

A 15,000-carats raw emerald which weights five pounds, is shown at the 'Minergemas 2011', an international mining and precious stones and metals in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, June 17, 2011. The emerald was found 12 years ago in Muzo, 75 kilometers north of Bogota, and is shown for the first time in Colombia, one of the world's largest emerald producers. (AP-Yonhap News)A massive uncut emerald on ex

June 21, 2011

Iconic Marilyn Monroe dress sells for $4.6 million

In this June 10, 2011 photo, entertainer Debbie Reynolds poses between dresses worn by actress Marilyn Monroe in the films "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," left, and "River of No Return," right, at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, Calif. Pieces in Reynolds' extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia will be put up for auction at the Paley Center. AP-Yonhap NewsLOS ANGELES (AFP) – The leg

June 20, 2011

Mexico’s gangs adopt ‘Narco Polo’ fashion

MEXICO CITY (AP) ― “Narco Polo” is the new fashion trend sweeping lower-class neighborhoods in Mexico, inspired by seven high-ranking drug traffickers who were arrested over a three-month stretch wearing open-neck, short-sleeved jerseys with the familiar horseman-with-a-stick emblem.The polo shirts are becoming ubiquitous in street vendors’ stalls from the drug-war-ravaged state of Tamaulipas to t

June 13, 2011

Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ jacket to be auctioned

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― The iconic black and red jacket worn by Michael Jackson in his “Thriller” video is to go under the hammer at a two-day Music Icons Exhibition in Beverly Hills.The jacket is among 600 items that will go on sale at Julien’s Auction Gallery, including memorabilia from musicians such as The Beatles, Madonna and Lady Gaga, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and Justin Bieber on June 25 and 26.Jac

June 7, 2011

Animal activists steal limelight at FENDI show

On the day of Floating Island’s international debut, 200 protest fur fashion show at the latest Seoul landmarkWith only a small bridge in between, two totally different worlds unfolded in the Banpo area in southern Seoul on Thursday night. On the Floating Island on the Han River, the venue of FENDI’s fashion show, about 1,000 guests chatted pleasantly over cocktails. Just a few hundred meters away

June 5, 2011

Singapore stretches to the world with Universal Studios

SINGAPORE ― If you are searching for blazing sun, beautiful beaches and great scenery for your summer holiday but have overlooked Singapore, it’s time to reconsider.With the opening of Universal Studios last week, the Resort World Sentosa on Sentosa Island off Singapore, is now transformed into an international leisure complex, aiming to attract more than 600,000 visitors annually. The Lost WorldT

June 3, 2011

Animal rights groups to protest at FENDI Show

Animal rights group protests against FENDI's fashion show at the Han River Floating Island which will feature fur items Thursday evening. (Yonhap News)Chaos is expected at FENDI’s fashion show in Seoul on Thursday evening as animal rights groups gear up for a large-scale protest. Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth announced that it will hold a protest at 5:30 p.m. at Hangang Park, across a brid

June 2, 2011

Not all bikinis risk wardrobe malfunctions

NEW YORK (AP) ― Forget the pear-vs.-apple and curvy-vs.-curveless shape charts for a minute. There’s another divide in the two-piece swimwear discussion: What if you actually have to get up and move around instead of lying on the chaise with a cool drink in hand?The runway swimsuits and magazine-shoot bikinis, with their thin straps, triangle bottoms, decorative hardware and high ratio of white fa

June 1, 2011

Stainless steel takes a light touch

Stainless steel appliances. They’re eye-pleasing, sleek and darned near a cliche these days.But that ubiquity means a lot of people are wrestling with the same problem: how to keep stainless steel clean, ward off scratches and keep a notoriously touchy surface factory-fresh.Deservedly or not, stainless steel has picked up a reputation as something of a dirt magnet.“It is a surface that requires a

May 30, 2011

W Taipei breathes life to hotel industry

Manager says Taiwan’s first W hotel aims to exceed 45 percent occupancy rate this yearTAIPEI ― In the bustling central business district of Xinyi in Taipei, W Taipei hotel encased in radiant glass stands tall not far from the iconic 101 Tower which shoots up more than 500 meters into the sky.Arriving at the first W hotel in Taiwan, a large stainless steel installation called “The Chain” is seen, w

May 25, 2011

Makeup trends start here

‘Korean chic’ gains attention overseas via YouTube and makeup brandsWith Girl’s Generation’s bubbly song “Snowy Wish” running in the background, a Thai girl with the YouTube ID onnbaby demonstrates how to pull off the “Korean flawless look.” “I have seen lots of people doing Korean makeup styles and yes, I am now doing one of them too!” she says. The basic steps she points out are ― one, clean and

May 20, 2011

Right at home: Solar lighting for the garden

LARCHMONT, New York (AP) ― Few things are prettier in a night garden than soft pools of light illuminating interesting trees, accent rocks, plants or pathways.Whether on a small terrace or in a sweeping landscape, lighting creates a welcoming and often dramatic atmosphere.But in some cases, buried-wire electric lighting can be costly and impracticable. The answer might be solar lighting.The techno

May 18, 2011

Beauty under curfew

Weddings put on hold as salons close earlyTUNIS (AFP) ― A flash blow wave but no time for a wash, a quick eyebrow shaping, rushed facials or a hurried massage: anxious women dart in and out of Tunis’ beauty salons before the nightly curfew descends.Used to staying open until 10 pm or 11 pm to doll up clients for parties or late-night weddings, the salons now empty out early as everyone rushes to g

May 18, 2011

Rare pink diamond fetches $10.8 million at Swiss auction

A model holds up a ring mounting a rare translucent pink diamond during a Sotheby's auction press preview in Geneva. Mounted in a ring the 10.99-carat, emerald-cut stone that is classified as "fancy intense pink" sold for a price of $10.8 million(7.6 million Euro) during a Sotheby's auction in Geneva on May 17. (Yonhap News)GENEVA (AFP) - An extremely rare translucent pink diamond fetched a price

May 18, 2011

Goodbye to grass

MINNEAPOLIS -- About a dozen years ago, Paul and Susan Damon of St. Paul, Minnesota, did something radical: They deliberately killed half their lawn.A few years later, they killed the rest of it.Gradually, they‘ve transformed their city lot into a small urban prairie, with more than 130 species of native plants. “We wanted to turn it into a haven for birds and butterflies,” said Paul, a landscape

May 16, 2011

Cushions can change the mood of a room

Accessories give one white sofa six distinctive looksBy Stacy Downs, McClatchy NewspapersNeutral certainly doesn’t mean boring. Especially when it comes to sofas.In fact, most designers say a neutral sofa is your best bet. As seasons change and your home decor evolves, you can update a room simply through throw pillows.We thought we’d put that theory to the test with one white sofa, six designers

May 16, 2011

Ministries, Seoul City take on fashion

Two government ministries and the Seoul local administration agreed Wednesday to join forces to promote Korea’s fashion industry. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Knowledge Economy and Seoul Metropolitan Government pledged to cooperate on fashion-related projects under the agreement signed at Seoul Palace Hotel. The three governmental organizations will run a Fashion Indust

May 11, 2011