London’s first ever designer outlet to open in Wembley in October

Computer Generated Image of how the London Designer Outlet will look

LONDON’S first ever designer outlet in the heart of Wembley will open its doors on October 24, it has been revealed today.

The London Designer Outlet (LDO) boasts 350,000ft² of retail and leisure space which includes up to 85 shops and 15 restaurants, with a mix of high street and brand names.

The full array of shops, all offering up to 70 per cent discounts on current season lines, will be open for business in spring 2014.

Retailers which have signed up to LDO include L.K. Bennett, Superdry, Guess, Marks & Spencer, GAP and Clarks.

London Designer Outlet will open its doors on October 24

Well known restaurants including Prezzo, Handmade Burger Co, Las Iguanas, Nandos and TGI Fridays as well as regular multicultural food markets will also being opening branches.

In addition, film buffs will be able to take full advantage of a new nine-screen Cineworld which is also included in the line-up.

The launch will also mark the completion of the first phase of the Wembley City development which is being created by Quintain.

The £3.4billion project will create 7,000 jobs and includes the four -star luxury Hilton hotel which opened last year, 4,200 new homes and the £90m Civic Centre which replaced Brent Town Hall in July.

James Saunders, chief operating officer for Quintain, said: “We spent a great deal of time finding out what local people really wanted and needed from London Designer Outlet and then focused on bringing this to life.

“This means that alongside high end labels LDO will offer trusted brands that appeal to a huge range of people.

“We expect the appealing range of shops offering unbeatable discounts on current season lines to ensure the outlet becomes a major destination for astute bargain hunters.”

As part of the opening celebrations this autumn, LDO will inspire the local community with a colourful festival of activity involving hundreds of people from nearby schools and dance groups.

The event has been conceived and developed by the international design company behind the London 2012 Athlete’s Parade and Paralympics Closing Ceremony.

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Oprah Winfrey denied handbag in Swiss shop, told cannot afford it

Oprah Winfrey is said to have a personal fortune of around $2.8 billion

OPRAH WINFREY talk show host attempted to purchase a £24,460 ($35,000) Tom Ford bag at Trois Pommes in Switzerland last month but was told that bag is too expensive for you. Winfrey, who was staying in the five-star Dolder Grand Hotel during her visit and was in Zurich for the wedding of her friend Tina Turner to Erwin Bach. Coincidentally, the store, the Trois Pommes Boutique owner, Trudie Goetz, was also a guest at the wedding.

The 'Trois Pommes' boutique, Zurich

Who can forget back in 2005, while visiting Paris, the US celebrity host experienced the similar negativity when she arrived at the Hermès store, when an assistant from inside the store, raced to lock the door and was refused entry. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight on Monday, Aug. 5, the 59-year-old star of Lee Daniels' The Butler said she was denied service because the sales clerk didn't believe she could afford such a pricey handbag.

 "I was in Zurich the other day at a store, whose name I will not mention, and I didn't have my eyelashes on, but I was in full Oprah Winfrey gear," she recalled. "I had my little Donna Karan skirt and my little sandals and all that on, but obviously The Oprah Winfrey Show is not shown in Zurich. This doesn't happen to me unless somebody obviously doesn't know it was me."


During her solo shopping trip, Winfrey asked the clerk to show her a luxury crocodile bag. "She says to me, 'No. It's too expensive.'" Winfrey asked to see it again, but the clerk once again denied her request, saying, "'No, no, no. You don't want to see that one. You want to see this one because that one will cost too much and you will not be able to afford that.'" Winfrey then said, "'No, I really did want to see that one.' And she refused to get it!"

The Tom Ford 'Jennifer' bag at the centre of the controversy surrounding the 'Trois Pommes' boutique.

The clerk proceeded to show Winfrey "these other little bags," but the star was unimpressed with the other options. "One more time, I tried. I said, 'But I really do just want to see that one.' And she said, 'Oh, I don't want to hurt your feelings.' I said, 'Okay, thank you so much. You're probably right. I can't afford it.' And I walked out of the store." ‘I left the store but it proves that racism is still an issue,’ she added.


After Winfrey told her BFF Gayle King about the experience, King said she would have returned to the store and caused a scene a la Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. The TV mogul, however, she didn't want to give the clerk commission. The bag in question was a Jennifer bag in crocodile skin.

"I could have had the big blowup thing and thrown down the black card and all that stuff," Winfrey said, "but why do that?"

Tom Ford designed the handbag for the actress, pictured with it

Trudie Goetz, head of the Swiss luxury chain Trois Pommes, denies that Winfrey was discriminated against because of her race. "This is an absolute misunderstanding," she tells Us Weekly in a statement. "Any sales person would love to sell a crocodile bag. She simply explained [to Oprah] that the bag she wanted to look at was beautiful but in a very high price range and suggested lower priced models in leather, ostrich and so forth." Goetz adds, "It was a misunderstanding. The staff member who welcomed Oprah is one of the hardest working and regularly deals with VIP clients. There was no discrimination."

Apologetic: Trois Pommes Boutique owner Trudie Goetz put the incident down to a 'misunderstanding'

In a separate statement to the BBC, Goetz said the employee in question is of Italian descent. "Of course, she speaks English, but not as well as her mother tongue," she explained. "It was a real misunderstanding." ‘Everyone wants to sell a crocodile bag,’ Ms Goetz went on to say, ‘It’s a misunderstanding. She insisted her saleswomen put customers first and try to be ‘kind’.

The Tom Ford 'Jennifer' bag now makes it in a number of different finishes

The Swiss Tourism Association also issued a statement saying it regrets the pain and embarrassment the experience caused Winfrey. "We are very sorry for what happened to her, of course, because we think all of our guests and clients should be treated respectfully, in a professional way," spokeswoman Daniela Baer told the Associated Press. Daniela Bar added: ‘We are totally ashamed about what happened. This sales assistant was completely in the wrong.

'We apologise on behalf of Swiss tourism for what happened. ‘This was a one-off and will not have a long lasting effect on the popularity of Switzerland, but the saleswoman should apologise to Oprah Winfrey.’

Despite this, The incident comes as the Swiss authorities came under fire for introducing “apartheid” type plans to separate asylum seekers from its citizens.

Some Swiss towns plan to keep asylum-seekers away from public places such as swimming pools, playing fields and libraries, in a move human rights groups say is racist.

The curbs are aimed at preventing tensions with residents, officials say. Asylum-seekers are to be housed in special centres, mainly former army barracks. About 48,000 people are currently seeking asylum in Switzerland. It has twice as many asylum seekers as the European average.


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Manolo Blahnik To Debut at London Fashion Week

Manolo Blahnik

MANOLO BLAHNIK is coming to London Fashion Week. The footwear designer will make his debut on the London Fashion Week schedule this coming season VOGUE reports.

Blahnik will host a presentation on Sunday September 15 from 10am until 4pm - the same day that the new spring/summer 2014 collections from Mulberry, L'Wren Scott, Mary Katrantzou, Jonathan Saunders and Topshop Unique will also be unveiled. No further details on Blahnik's presentation are yet known, with a venue yet to be confirmed.

MANOLO BLAHNIK Spring 2013

"Everybody now makes a point of coming to London - which is very different to Milan and Paris," he told us previously. "London is now so important to all these international buyers. London is the future."

While he's never held an official spot on the schedule, the Spanish-born designer was heavily involved in last season's London Fashion Week - responsible for all the imagery used across campaign and marketing material, a collaboration he said was a tribute to his late friend, Anna Piaggi. Blahink was also awarded the British Fashion Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2012.

visit: www.manoloblahnik.com

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Max Mara's first ever Accessories campaign, starring Jennifer Garner

JENNIFER GARNER The first ever Accessories campaign starring the award-winning actress, photographed in New York by Mario Sorrenti, for the JBAG. Described by the luxury brand house as 'A true modern classic. Beautifully hand crafted from the finest materials and designed with refined simplicity. The JBag is an ageless icon of understated elegance that will transcend occasion and stand the test of time.

The American actress is the first and currently only celebrity spokesperson of Max Mara. Starting next month, September 2013. The campaign will appear in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle, W, InStyle, The New York Times and The International Herald Tribune.

Behind the scenes at the JBag shoot we get to see during the shoot, how the luxury house captured a few relaxed moments of conversation in Jennifer's busy schedule to find out her thoughts on life, loves, and being a very stylish lady.


Max Mara Accessories Fall/Winter 2013 Campaign starring Jennifer Garner - Behind the scenes

THE INTERVIEW
Jennifer Garner is a very busy actress. Balancing her time between a successful career and, in her words, her favourite "job": being a mother. Not that raising a family (she has two daughters, Violet, 7, and Seraphina, 4, and one boy, Sam, 1, and husband Ben Affleck) has meant sacrificing her love for fashion and for style. Perhaps precisely because of this the actress (and activist) has become a red carpet favourite admired for her sophisticated and glamorous allure. "I don't like to seem like a paper cut-out even in fashion photographs, I want to look like a real woman", she says proudly. chatting with Jennifer in photographer Mario Sorrenti's studio during the shooting of the cover of this issue of MM Magazine and the "J- Bag" campaign. Here is Max Mara's interview…

How would you define your style?
Pragmatic! I like to wear garments of guaranteed elegance, that have a real luxurious texture and feel good against your skin. Like a camel coat – you can't go wrong.

Wife-mother-actress… You're a very busy lady. How does this reflect in the way you dress?
I have a basic style mandate for myself: both in life and on the red carpet I don't want to feel like I'm wearing a theatre costume. Some outfits work on other people, but may be too cool for me. Of course, I like clothes to be beautiful.

How was it working with super photographer Mario Sorrenti?
Mario is a real dreamboat. Since he's not here, I can say that. He's a talented storyteller, a delightful enchanter.

Let's talk a little bit about film. What was your favourite film when you were growing up?
"The Wizard of Oz". I've watched it a lot recently with my kids and – I have to say – it is still a timeless success
.
When was the first time you felt like an actress?
The first time I felt like an actress was my first real job. I was living in New York and I got a job as an understudy in a play entitled "A Month in the Country" starring Helen Mirren and F. Marie Abraham and Ron Rifkin. I made $150 a week. I didn't have enough money to take the subway so I walked.

We heard you singing on the shoot today. Another passion of yours?
No, I would never sing in front of a camera. I sing lullabies at night. Usually I never sing in front of anyone. Or at least no one above the age of seven.

What do you think about the "J-Bag" – this season's new cult bag by Max Mara – that you were photographed holding?
I like the size of it. I like that it's big enough to carry whatever technology you want to stuff in there, but it's small enough that you won't lose your lipstick.


visit maxmara.com for the JBAG

Pic & Content: Max Mara

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Dolce & Gabbana close nine shops in protest at being "pilloried"

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

DOLCE & GABBANA shut shops to protest public criticism.

MILAN, July 19 (Reuters) - Italian fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana closed their Milan stores for three days on Friday in protest at being "pilloried" over their convictions for tax evasion in June, which they say they will appeal.

The words "Closed for Indignation" were emblazoned in the windows of the designers' shop in an upmarket street in Milan, the city where the pair showed their first collection in 1985.

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were given 20-month jail terms for evading taxes on royalties of about a billion euros ($1.3 billion) by selling their brand to a Luxembourg-based holding company in 2004.

Their lawyers say they are confident of overturning the convictions. The pair are unlikely to spend time in jail due to the complexity and length of the appeals process.

"We are no longer willing to suffer undeservedly the accusations of the financial police and the income revenue authority, attacks from public ministers and the media pillory we have already been subjected to for years," they said in a statement.

The pair said they would continue to pay their more than 250 employees in Milan during the temporary closure of all their nine shops in the city.

D&G Corset

Passers-by stopped to read an article displayed in the shop window that quoted a city councillor saying the city should not let the duo show their collections in communal spaces during the city's famous fashion week in September.

"We don't need to be represented by tax evaders," councillor Franco D'Alfonso was quoted as saying.

Famed for producing sexy corset dresses and bold patterns inspired by Dolce's native Sicily, the fashion house earned just under 1.5 billion euros in global revenues in 2011.

The case is one of the few high-profile tax evasion cases to come to light in Italy, where corporate tax rates are among the highest in the world.

"Taxes are going up all the time," said Marco Daddio, a tailor from Naples whose eye was caught by the unusual appearance of Dolce & Gabbana's shop window on Friday.

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Watch Helena Bonham Carter As Elizabeth Taylor In 'Burton & Taylor!'

Helena Bonham Carter & Dominic West; movie 'Burton & Taylor!'

ELIZABETH TAYLOR memory is to be immortalised forever on the big screen thanks to the BBC movie, Burton & Taylor. The movie will document the couple tempestuous love affair, as the the twice-divorced couple theatre for their 1983 production of Private Lives. In this short taster for made-for-television movie, sees the dishy Dominic West as Burton and Helena Bonham Carter as Taylor. 

Elizabeth Tayor

 The film will premiere on July 22nd, 2013.

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Rihanna Sues Philip Green's Topshop for £3.5m over 'Ugly' T-shirt

Rihanna at the Grammys - suing Philip Green out of 'principle' (Reuters)

RIHANNA is reportedly suing high street fashion store Topshop over T-shirts that have an "unflattering" photo of her on them (23/05/13).

Now, I have struggled to find an ugly picture of the 25-year-old singer who has been reported as suing Sir Philip Green's company for £3.5m, High Court papers filed through law firm Reed Smith in March show.

She says that not only did Topshop use her picture without her permission, the image they chose makes her look ugly - the photo shows her with her hair tied up in a bandanna.

"The base image of the first claimant (Rihanna) is of such an unflattering nature that it would not be approved," the papers say.

Rihanna also takes issue with the quality of the T-shirts, saying both the image and the product "would not have been authorised by the first claimant".

'Unflattering' Topshop t-shirt of Rihanna

In UK law, the copyright of a photograph is owned by the photographer, not the person in the picture. Topshop also said it was allowed to use the image as it was taken in a public place.

The singer is said to be irritated at these laws and is pushing ahead with the lawsuit out of principle, not vanity.

A source said: "RiRi says it's the principle. She believes they are taking advantage of artists, that it's just exploitation and what they are doing is wrong."

Reports go on to say Green offered Rihanna, who is estimated to be worth £35m, £3,500 in compensation, which she turned down.

Should Rihanna win the lawsuit, it would be a landmark case as, at present, there is no "right of publicity" law in the UK.

In the US, however, this law prevents the use of a person's image or name for advertising or trade without their written consent.

All this took place whilst Rihanna was currently promoting her own fashion line with Topshop rival River Island (view that here). Which makes me wonder how much foul play is connected to this action, as the two have vied for celebrities but speaking about the collection, she said: "I made a piece for everybody in my crew, we all have different body types and different tastes.

Rihanna for River Island

"Some are braver than others, but, you know, I think like that because that's how all the women in the world are. We're all different, we all like different things, we all have different occasions, different moods, different body types."

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