PSFK Author:
Tim

Dexigner reports that Dutch design duo, Victor & Rolf are collaborating with Swedish fast-fashion retailer, H&M to create a collection for the autumn 2006 season. The one-time collection will be available at selected H&M stores on all H&M markets across Europe, North America and the Middle East. The one-time collection will consist of women’s wear, men’s wear and accessories. H&M’s previous successful designer collaborations were with designers, Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney.

Dexigner

Adweek reports a ranking of the top 10 most expensive celebrity ad deals. The majority of the list includes A-list celebrity fashion and beauty/fragrance endorsements.

Charlize Theron for Dior (TV and print)
Angelina Jolie for St. John (print)
Nicole Kidman for Chanel No. 5 (TV and print)
Gwyneth Paltrow for Estee Lauder (TV and print)
Julia Roberts for Gianfranco Ferre (print)
Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz for L’Oreal (TV, print, Internet and point-of-sale materials)

The MoMu Fashion Museum in Antwerp plans to exhibit a retrospective of Yohji Yamamoto’s work. The showcase will be an experience of his creative work: visual, tactile and corporal. The emphasis will be particularly on the decade 1995 to 2005, an era of considerable rethinking of his creations. MoMu is a museum devoted to fashion, clothing, costume and textiles.

MoMu

Ducati reports it has partnered with Z Zegna to design a collector’s piece fragrance bottle that was inspired by the style of the legendary Ducati Monster motorbike. This limited edition bottle design adopts high-tech materials and the legendary racing stripe of Ducati.

Ducati 

According to PR Newswire, Puma and United For Africa announced a joint partnership which includes the unveiling of the PUMA Charity Collection. Their goal is to generate donations and raise international awareness for the 30 aid organisations that came together in the concerted campaign UNITED FOR AFRICA.The collection will be available from the end of May 2006 at 10 different locations nationwide, including PUMA Concept Stores.

PR Newswire

According to Business Week, Zara can take a design from drawing board to store shelf in just two weeks. This is made possible by its in-house design team based in in La Coruña, Spain, and a tightly controlled factory and distribution network. That allows Zara to introduce new items every week, which keeps customers coming back again and again to check out the latest styles.

Business Week

The Mobile Mag reports an early concept from a Nokia designer that forecasts what 4g mobile phones could look like. This wristband like phone is designed to manage your info through different peripherals seamlessly depending on your mood. It can work independently as a phone or work with a Bluetooth style headpiece. It’s also used to pay bus fare, compare prices of a sweater, make a call and buy coffee.

Mobile Mag

According to Fashion Wire Daily, AlvaProducts, an experit in global fit and size, is offering major retailers and apparel manufacturers in the fashion industry a line
of customized "true body shape" forms. The leading fit model manufacturer ’s process is quite interesting. It involves tweaking the
data of a 3D digital form (previously scanned by a live fit model) to perfect body altitude, posture and symmetry.

Yahoo

Bloomberg.com reports that Prada has agreed to sell Helmut Lang  to Link Theory Holdings Co. of Japan. The Helmut Lang brand hasn’t made a profit for the company since it was aquired in 1999. Last month Prada sold Jil Samder to Change Capital Partners, a London-based private equity firm. Prada now plans to focus on its own brands, which include Miu Miu and Car Shoe.

Bloomberg