Fashion

The socialite - whose great-grandfather Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels - says she is ready to follow in the footsteps of her family as she believes she needs a new challenge in her career. We’ve already seen her become a reality TV star, a singer, have her own fragrances, a clothing line and appear in movies, and apparently she is now ready to try her hand at being a hotelier.

hotels have sold everything from beds and bathrobes to candles and a variety of home fragrances. Now the Dorchester Collection has taken this one step further by launching fashion accessories – their reasoning being that there is a Dorchester Collection hotel in every major fashion capital.

After a gloomy 2009, floral prints are THE trend for spring/summer 2010. Designers adorned their spring collections with garden varieties of rosettes and sweet floral patterns on just about everything from accessories to dresses and jackets. British brand Liberty kicked off thes season earlier this year by bringing its iconic florals to America in the form of a Target collaboration. This bright, happy trend has also influenced the beauty world, causing an explosion of pretty pinks and cotton candy hues for lips, cheeks and nails in shops.

Exclusionary and elusive experiences still appeal to consumers and remains at the top of what is appealing and sexy in the minds of consumers, despite the recession. They want to feel as if they are a part of a select elite group, even if it’s only a temporary illusion. The more privileged a consumer feels for having access to a product or service, the more the added level of mystique will sell. Here are some nifty examples of selling the mystique factor….

Until not so long ago, we lived in a throwaway society. But then a thrifty culture was born out of the global economic downturn, which saw frugalistas come into their own (persons who lived an economical lifestyle but stayed fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying secondhand, growing own produce, etc.) Non-disposable fashion is a current trend, and stemming from this are a new wave of services for those wishing to repair or revamp classics and couture items, which have been buried in the deep dark depths of closets.

Luxury brands and social media are a combination that has not been a love affair. Some feared diluting their elite and exclusive community. Another concern is that luxury is not just a product, it’s an experience. Consumers need to see and feel luxury with their own eyes and hands. They want first-class service, personalized design and unique touches unavailable elsewhere. This need for a “touch point” is precisely why retail outlets have traditionally been so essential to a luxury brand. It’s not a “feeling” conveyable online.

Like Slow Food, Slow Fashion is concerned with origin, source, and process. And not all earth-friendly clothes are beige. Designers and the stylishly-inclined are changing the way we consume our clothes.

When you’re thirsty for a Coke, you go might go to the nearby vending machine for your drink. Today, you can get much more than just the usual carbonated drink or salty snack.

A recent survey by WSL Strategic Retail indicates that only 19 percent of pet owners are scrimping on pet spending, with the majority buying not only nice things but top-of-the-line products as well. Turns out, pet supplies are often at the bottom of the cutback list, along with human essentials such as prescription medications and toothpaste.

Goth has been around for decades, having evolved out of the punk movement in the 70’s and reaching a high in the 90’s. But the macabre vibe is gaining traction once again. A symbol of dark economic times? Perhaps.