Hands up! Mila Kunis gets the once over as she heads through security at Los Angeles airport

   A busy holiday weekend is never the best time to travel, but Mila Kunis needed to fly out yesterday after spending the long Memorial Day weekend in her hometown of Los Angeles.

With her chestnut hair pulled up into a loose pony tail, the 28-year-old actress, dressed for her plane trip in a comfortable tank top, skinny black jeans and jean jacket.

Her shoes (a pair of comfy Toms) and purse (a Chanel bag) were definitely an odd pairing!  

With little make up on, the normally glamorous Black Swan star looked like every other passenger trying to make a flight.

And airport security at LAX made her go through all the hassles everyone else must endure to get on a flight these days, including taking off your shoes and going through a body scan.

Kunis has been filming Blood Ties in New York since the beginning of the month. She plays Clive Owen's on-screen love interest in the English remake of the 2008 French thriller Les Liens du Sang, which tells the story of two brothers who face off against one another over organized crime in Brooklyn in the 1970s.

The Hungarian-born star slipped backed into Los Angeles, where her parents and older brother, Michael, still live, for the long weekend.

Kunis is very close with her family and credits her strict upbringing with her discipline while acting.

For her dancer role in Black Swan, for example, she trained four-hours a day and ate a 1,200 calorie a day diet to get down to 95-pounds. She has since regained the 20 pounds she lost.

Kunis, who is not known to be currently dating anyone, was likely heading back to New York yesterday to finish up filming Blood Ties.

She'll next be seen on the silver screen playing Mark Wahlberg's girlfriend in Seth MacFarlane's Ted, out July 13.

Expect to see her glammed up and hitting the red carpet in some fabulous outfits!

Bella Fashion Jewelry Now Offers New 2012 Hair Accessories

 Hair Clips, Hairpins, and Barrettes Are Among New Styles Added to Bella Fashion Jewelry's 2012 Hair Accessories Line

Hayward, CA (PRWEB) May 25, 2012

Bella Fashion Jewelry, Inc. announces multitude of new styles of hair accessories, including unique barrettes, hairclips, and hairpins. Often, the best way to add a double dose of chic to a look is with an elegant hairstyle, complete with beautiful hair accessories. A simple cardigan and jeans can get that extra something from a well-coordinated flower hair clip. Bella Fashion Jewelry has every girl covered when it comes to hair clips and hairpins on its websites, bellafashionjewelry.com for retail and bellafashionwholesale.com for wholesale. Working under the mission of providing beautiful jewelry at a low and competitive price, Bella Fashion Jewelry opens the door to style for the woman on a budget.

Bella Fashion Jewelry customers are able to find hair accessories that spark an interest from Tweens to Young Adults as well as Middle-Aged Women and Seniors with a multitude of options to choose from. Many barrettes are themed after flowers, offering something both elegant and youthful. Bella Fashion Jewelry is also offering in the Summer 2012 accessory line a plethora of sparkling crystal barrettes that are designed for tasteful parties, extravagant weddings, or formal events. They provide consumers with some unique pieces such as their flowers on a stem hair barrettes that are great for the younger generation and events such as Prom and other school dances. In addition to barrettes, hair claws offer any woman the great practicality without sacrificing style through a variety of designs. Because women often struggle to find the perfect fashion hair accessories, they look to celebrities and stars for the latest trend. At Bella Fashion Jewelry, they have brought in the latest celebrity trends in hair accessories for women to purchase at a fraction of the cost celebrities pay. They are now offering hair clips from flower alligator clips that exude elegance and class to feather hair clips that are seen by many celebrities these days. Bella Fashion Jewelry is also offering hair clips, hair pins, and barrettes compatible with different hair types.

About Bella Fashion Jewelry, Inc.

Bella Fashion Jewelry is a leading provider of fashion jewelry and fashion accessories to help customers stay up to date with the latest fashion trends. Bella Fashion Jewelry has been in the business of fashion jewelry and accessories for over 21 years. Bella Fashion Jewelry has been helping thousands of customer's worldwide stay up to date with the attest fashions trends. Bella Fashion Jewelry is owned and operated out of Hayward, CA. To learn more about the fashion jewelry and accessories available from Bella Fashion Jewelry, please visit BellaFashionWholesale.com.

A face of Chanel No. 5, muse of Yves Saint Laurent and onetime partner of lens

 A face of Chanel No. 5, muse of Yves Saint Laurent and onetime partner of lens wunderkind David Bailey, Catherine Deneuve continues to inspire. While her blonde locks are as backcombed as they were in the ’70s, and her eyes remain as contoured as they were in the decade before that, we’re utterly enamoured with this 68-year-old beauty’s perfectly plump skin.

An actress with enormous range, Deneuve’s fame skyrocketed after appearing in the 1964 musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. An instant hit, the 21-year-old went from strength to strength, shooting a Roman Polanksi suspense film followed by Spanish surrealist Luis Buñuel’s drama Belle de Jour. One of only a few actresses with the ability to consistently secure roles throughout her entire career (another includes former beauty icon Anjelica Huston), Deneuve came to the forefront of international cinema again for her role in the 1992 film Indochine. She then reappeared on the scene playing opposite Björk in controversial Danish director Lars von Trier’s 2000 feature Dancer in the Dark.

An icon of film and particularly influential in France, her supremely striking face with its high cheekbones and lashed-out peepers has also graced many covers of Vogue. At the age of 21 she married British photographer David Bailey and during that time also shot with the likes of Richard Avedon. Stunning in front of the lens and utterly charming in real life, she bewitched fashion’s king Yves Saint Laurent who dressed her in several films including Belle de Jour (1967), the popular French film La sirène du Mississippi (1969), and The Hunger (1983) where she played David Bowie’s vampiric romantic interest.

Her modelling accomplishments also abound. She was chosen as the face of Chanel No. 5 in the 1970s, represented L’Oréal Paris’ Elvive range in the early 2000s, and inspired make-up guru Francois Nars in 2009 when he painted model Amber Valletta in her likeness for the launch of the lipstick Belle de Jour and book Nars 15 x 15. Most significantly though, at the age of 42 the beauty was chosen to model for Marianne, the national emblem of France. Just like former Marianne model and Vogue.com.au’s beauty icon Brigitte Bardot, from 1985 to 1989 Deneuve was seen on French coins and stamps, and had many marble busts created of her. 

Vogue.com.au talks to make-up mastermind (and former YSL star) Terry de Gunzburg and Clarins’ head of education and training Charlotte Turner to learn the secrets of impeccable skin for mature beauties.

Charlotte Turner on Clarins’ new Extra-Firming Day Wrinkle Lifting Lotion SPF 15:

Extremely nourishing and ideal for aged skin, Turner explains that “Oat sugars deliver an instant firming lift, while green banana and lemon thyme preserve and boost the quality of the three elements of dermal firmness, and strengthen the links between them: collagen, elastin and fibroblasts.”

Turner on repairing the skin at night:

In Clarins new Extra-Firming Night Rejuvenating Cream, Turner reveals that “Peptide complexes of Stimulen, Survixyl IS and Lotus Zymbiosome boost collagen renewal, protect the stem cell niches in the epidermal junction, and preserve immune cells. The Lotus Zymbiosome helps diminish skin darkening and pigmentation.”

Terry de Gunzburg’s tips for a perfect base on aged skin:

“Use products that become one with the skin followed by a high corrective power. I recommend my new duo, the combination of Hyaluronic Face Glow with Hyaluronic Eye Primer. This duo of tinted bases for the face and specifically for the eye contour and eyelid will immediately revive the skin. Hyaluronic Face Glow is a new foundation alternative for make-up that appears imperceptible. Created in the By Terry lab, molecules are like a whipped meringue. This allows them to penetrate specifically into the smallest grooves and fill wrinkles and fine lines to perfection.”

De Gunzburg on applying foundation:

“The best technique is definitely using a brush. It is more hygienic, economical and precise. The foundation brush will allow you to apply any texture (cream, gel, liquid or compact) uniformly across the entire face, getting just the right amount of foundation in little creases and fine lines. This is the reason why the brushes are integrated in Light-Expert or Touch-Expert Advanced. However, you can still finish very lightly with your fingers for the final touch.”

Gucci to introduce Soft Stirrup bag

Gucci is pleased to introduce the Soft Stirrup bag, a supple interpretation of the House’s distinctive stirrup-shaped handbag. Featuring a spur as hardware, this new classic echoes Gucci’s riding heritage while complementing Creative Director Frida Giannini’s romantic and eclectic Prefall 2012 collection.

Inspired by a rigid frame style from 1975, this new design boasts a highly functional, deconstructed shape. Large and medium sizes make for a light and spacious shoulder bag, perfect to carry all day long. With this contemporary soft silhouette, casual attitude meets refined appeal.

The iconic spur detail embellishes the top closure of the bag and smaller spurs decorate the handles, with finishes that range from brass to antique silver and light gold.

An intense and sophisticated color palette includes black, light grey, medium brown, deep carmine, cocoa and marron glacée, true to the warm feeling of the collection.

The Soft Stirrup bag is available in luxurious materials such as washed calfskin and nubuck, both lined in either natural GG linen or leather, as well as exotic skins like python, ostrich and crocodile, all with suede lining.

The precious skins are the result of traditional manual techniques, put into practice by Gucci’s master artisans to further enhance the plush textures. The crocodile proves extremely soft and natural thanks to the application of special oils, while the aged yet shiny look of the python is the outcome of a multi-ironing process and other manual treatments.

The new Soft Stirrup bag is a symbol of Gucci’s impeccable and timeless craftsmanship. A discreet and sophisticated accessory to wear forever, this shoulder bag embodies the House’s duality of tradition and innovation.

Gucci

Gucci Unveils Bamboo Sunglasses Made of Biodegradable “Liquid Wood”

Looks like Gucci’s foray into sustainable eyewear was more than a passing fancy. Less than a year after it debuted a line of bio-based frames synthesized from castor seeds, the Italian luxury house is poised to introduce the first-ever sunglasses made with “liquid wood.” The material, which Benetton currently uses for its hangers, combines wood fibers from sustainably managed forests, lignin from the paper-manufacturing process, and natural wax. Unlike petroleum-based plastic, it’s also biodegradable.

Together with Safilo, which manufactures and distributes eyeglasses for a raft of internationally renowned brands, Gucci has created a prototype with a semi-matte black frame and gray ombré glass lenses. Recycled metal makes up both the hinges and bamboo-inspired accents.

    Gucci will also be introducing a foldable eyeglass case to reduce the weight and number of shipments.

Its frames aren’t the only thing getting overhauled, however. Gucci plans to introduce a foldable eyeglass case that minimizes stock space and both the weight and number of shipments. The new packaging, which Gucci estimates will reduce its transport-related carbon emissions by 60 percent, will include a pre-addressed envelope so customers can send it off for recycling.

“Since 1921, Gucci has been about quality, but nowadays quality goes hand in hand with sustainability,” Rossella Ravagli, Gucci’s corporate social responsibility manager, told Copenhagen Fashion Summit attendees earlier this month. “We can absolutely say in Gucci today that CSR is a strategic aspect of our global strategy.”

arrested on terrorism charges at NATO summit have South Florida ties

South Florida's chapters of the Occupy protest movement have generally been overshadowed by their larger siblings in cities such as New York and Oakland, Calif., but three veterans of the Occupy Miami group are now the focus of news reports across the country.

The trio's claim to infamy: They are charged with planning a terrorism strike during the NATO summit in Chicago with targets that included police cars, financial institutions and President Barack Obama's campaign headquarters. The men, all in their 20s, could each face up to 85 years behind bars. The Occupy movement, meanwhile, risks being tainted as a violent fringe group of subversive anarchists.

Attorneys for the men say they were entrapped by law enforcement, and that weapons recovered at their apartment were in fact left there by undercover agents.

"Occupy Miami has always been a peaceful movement," said one local Occupy Miami participant who calls himself Bruce Wayne. "The culture of the movement is nonviolent ... no drugs and alcohol ... we went to great lengths to assure our activities were legal."

Wayne said his conversations with 27-year-old Jared Chase - one of the three arrested in Chicago - revealed no nefarious plans in the works. Wayne described Chase as "very calm and soft-spoken," a person who "did a lot of listening."

Chase, a New Hampshire native, was arrested last week along with Brian Church, a 22-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Brent Betterly, 24, of Oakland Park, Fla.

The men are expected to be formally indicted Tuesday. According to charging documents filed by the Cook County, Ill., State's Attorney's Office, the trio are "self-proclaimed anarchists" who traveled together from Florida to Chicago to be in town during the NATO summit. The event attracted thousands of protesters, many of them peaceful, but resulted in more than 100 arrests, mostly for minor offenses.

What the three Florida men had in mind, however, were dangerous acts of violence, police say. According to the charging document, one of the men boasted "the city doesn't know what it's in for" and that "after NATO, the city will never be the same."

Prosecutors say the men assembled a cache of weapons that included a mortar, swords and knives with brass-knuckle handles. The men also were assembling Molotov cocktails from beer bottles filled with gasoline, authorities say.

"At one point, Church asked whether others had ever seen a 'cop on fire' and discussed throwing one of the Molotov Cocktails into the 9th District Police Station," the charging document states.

The state's attorney's office did not return The Miami Herald's calls for comment Monday.

The trio are charged with material support for terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possession of explosives or explosive or incendiary devices.

The three men have become known as the "NATO 3," and the serious charges they face have energized both critics and defenders of the Occupy movement.

Conservative commentators who were never fans of Occupy protests have made it a point to publicize the dangerous crimes the trio are accused of. Occupy supporters - as well as the attorneys representing the three men - say the arrests amount to a law enforcement setup, with police informants supplying the weapons and fomenting violent plans within an otherwise peaceful group.

"This is an example of how police use tactics to create hysteria, spread fear and intimidation," said Kris Hermes, a spokesman for the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, which is representing the accused men.

Other than the state's three-page charging document, Hermes said, prosecutors have submitted no evidence so far, not even a copy of the warrant they employed to search the trio's Chicago apartment or a list of exactly what items were confiscated there.

Hermes said prosecutors have made the three men's political beliefs an issue, describing the trio as anarchists when recently arguing before a judge over the amount of bond to be set in the case. Bond was ultimately set at $1.5 million each, an amount high enough to ensure the men will remain in custody for the time being.

Hermes said the men might not actually be anarchists, but regardless, "having political beliefs in the United States is still legal, and doesn't automatically mean that they're guilty of crimes or that they are inherently violent."

Chicago police have also arrested two other men on terrorism-related charges connected to the NATO summit. Both are Chicago-area residents, and appear to have no connection to the Florida trio, except for one link: all five of the accused possibly dealt with a pair of police informants. The male informant is thus far known only as "Mo," and the female informant is known only as "Gloves."

Prior to this arrest, one member of the NATO 3, the 24-year-old Betterly, was already facing pending criminal charges related to an October break-in at Northeast High School in Oakland Park. Betterly's attorney in that case, Andrew Coffey, described the break-in as a "night of drunken hi-jinks" during which Betterly joined a friend or two in sneaking into the school, taking a dip in the swimming pool, and spraying a fire extinguisher. A plea deal that would have given Betterly only probation, while requiring restitution for the minor physical damage to the school, had been in the works, Coffey said, though it would now be complicated by the more-serious Chicago charges.

Coffey said Betterly seemed to have found some direction in his life, and he called his Chicago arrest "mind-blowing."

"It's extraordinarily uncharacteristic," Coffey said. "The person I know is not an anarchist."

Barbara Chase, the aunt of another of the accused, told The Associated Press that she doubts her nephew would have knowingly participated in a terrorist plot. She said 27-year-old Jared Chase "always seemed harmless."

In a musician biography page Chase appears to have created for himself on the website SoundClick.com, the young man paints a different picture. He describes himself as having been arrested multiple times, and having a past that included both dealing drugs and being a gang member. Chase also spent much of his life battling addiction to methamphetamine and crack cocaine, the bio states.

Referring to himself by the musician name "J-Chase," the bio states: "most people called him a psycho. But he's only as sick as this world made him."

In new Chanel cruise-line show, Karl Lagerfeld one-ups Versailles

As some of the world's most glamorous women prepare for the Cannes Film Festival this week, Karl Lagerfeld has shown once again that he's a step ahead of the game on the Riviera's red carpet.

The celebrated designer rolled out a baroque-tinged cruise collection Monday at the seat of French opulence, Versailles Palace, with celebrities like actress Tilda Swinton and singer Vanessa Paradis in attendance.

"The palace is the perfect place for Chanel, you couldn't imagine anything better," said Paradis, who watched as models filed by with ruffled 18th-century tulle sleeves.

Eclectic gold platform sneakers were among the touches that broke up the historic feel, making this one of the funkiest Chanel shows in some time.

Cruise or resort collections – a mid-season show, shown by only a handful of the world's fashion powerhouses – were conceived to target wealthy women who travel on ships in winter.

Nowadays, the collections are a lucrative way to re-stimulate fashions in the mid-season lull in an industry that's increasingly buoyant and bucking the global financial downturn.

Model of the moment Cara Delavigne opened the show in a velvety, pale blue denim dress with a crisp A-line skirt.

But the rest of the show felt more like Chanel's answer to a Baroque history lesson.

Beauty marks, bottom-heavy skirts, and floral chokers infused spectators with a feeling of Marie Antoinette's heyday.

Baroque-tinged wigs and ruffled, courtly hair-bows in silk, meanwhile, added a splash of androgyny.

It's well known that Karl Lagerfeld is a workaholic, but in this show he seemed to have studied every reference under the sun.

One outfit dizzied: a white, double-breasted skirt suit, with embroidered gold roses and a stiff shawl collar, mixed with a short tennis skirt and glam-rock platforms.

The width of the skirt and shoulders matched identically, in extravagant visual unity.

Added to the mix were silver chokers with roses, a look that recalled the 18th-century trendsetter Madame de Pompadour, as captured by painter Jean-Honore Fragonard.

Luxury for lease

 Rentalsoftop-brandgoodsmightbethewayofthefuture. Zhao Ying from China Features reports [URL=http://www.luxurymessage.com/]luxury goods message[/URL].
RenJiansongputspayinghisrentaheadofbuyingthepriceyluxurygoodshesoadores- prompting the 26-year-old fashionmonger to frequently rent luxury goods from a Beijing-based boutique. His most recent rental was a Louis Vuitton Damier Naviglio. The brown and tan messenger bag retails for about $1,600, but Ren paid 180 yuan ($29) to borrow one for three days. He also paid 90 yuan to rent a $700 Louis Vuitton wallet for three days. "I can afford to buy any of them, but I don't think the prices are acceptable," says Ren, whose annual income is nearly 220,000 yuan.
"I need high-end bags for parties and business meetings, because they help refine my image," he explains.

TheBeijingnativeknewlittleaboutluxurybrandsbeforehestartedworkingforafashionstorein2009. He purchased two bags - one by Chanel and one by Dior - and a Cartier ring for a total of 63,000 yuan.
In2010, he registered his own company aimed at helping globally acclaimed brands promote sales in Chinese shopping malls and on websites.

Today, the sales agent travels across China to organize marketing activities for his clients, which include Louis Vuitton, Bulgari and Chanel.
Buthestoppedbuyinghigh-endgoodsin2010 after discovering V2, a fashion boutique in downtown Beijing's Guomao area.
Inadditiontosellingnewandgentlyusedluxurybags, V2 also offers shoppers a chance to lease used luxury goods - a rare service in China.
Torentgoods, a customer must put down a full-price deposit and pay a daily rental fee of about 3 percent of the item's retail price.

Todate, Ren has spent more than 60,000 yuan at V2.
"Ordinary people don't have many occasions to use luxury products, so why not just rent one when you need it?" Ren says.
WhileRenfrequentlyrentshisluxurygoods, his peers have become obsessive buyers of such products.
Chinaistheworld's fastest-growing market for luxury goods, thanks to years of stable economic growth that has boosted the spending power of superrich consumers.
ForbesmagazinereportsChinahadatotalof146 billionaires in 2011 - up 14 percent from 2010 and second only to the United States, which boasts 413 billionaires.
"Actually, many buyers are just attracted by the logos and don't know much about the brand culture," Ren points out.

Chinesepeopleenjoyflauntingtheirwealthinpublicandbelievequalityproductsemblazonedwithworld-famouslogosrepresentdignity. But they prefer to own, not rent, says Kong Liang, manager of Oursjia Rental Service Co Ltd's branch in Jiangsu province's capital Nanjing.
"Some rich people show off wealth using luxury goods, while some salaried workers skimp on daily expenses to buy high-end products," Kong says.
Thejointventure, which operates dozens of shops in China's mega-cities, offers a wide range of products for lease, including home appliances, furniture, digital products, vehicles and luxury goods. The daily charges for similar goods are almost identical among different shops, so customers do not worry about bargaining, market researcher and V2 co-founder Yang Xu says.
Regulardisinfectionsandrepairsalsoimprovecustomersatisfaction, Yang says.
YangandhisfriendsopenedV2 seven years ago, but the first year was a disaster. Few customers turned up.

Yangkeptmarketingonline. He opened a boutique on China's largest Internet trading portal, Taobao.com, and regularly updates his micro blog to promote the new business model.
Rentalshaveincreasedbyabout5 percent annually for the past several years. Handbags, purses and suitcases are the most popular choices, Yang says.
ButV2 still depends on sales, as the rental service accounts for only about 3 percent of its overall trade volume.
"I don't expect profits from the rental deals," Yang says.
"The service meets the demands of a small group but may bring in more potential buyers."
Hebelievesitwilltaketimeforpeopletobecomefamiliarwithandacceptthisnewconsumptionmode.
Amajorchallengeispresentedbytheomnipresenceofcounterfeits, which causes people to doubt the authenticity of rental luxury goods.
Andsomecustomerstrytoduperentalservicesbyreturningfakebags.
Yangsayshehaslearnedtodistinguishcounterfeitgoodsaftermanyyearsofpractice. V2's rental contracts stipulate that any customer who replaces V2's genuine products with fake goods will not have their deposit returned.
Therentalcontractalsorequirescustomerstofootthebillforminordamages, but Yang says most customers take good care of the items.
RenhastraveledthroughoutthecountryandsayshehasyettofindanotherserviceoutsideBeijing.
Ren's girlfriend, Tian Jing, is also a luxury brand devotee and disciple of his service.
Beforethecouplemet, the China Minsheng Banking Corp Ltd employee, who earns more than 10,000 yuan a month, blew more than 120,000 yuan on handbags and jewelry from Hermes, Chanel, Dior, Prada and Cartier during overseas tours.

"My colleagues carried luxury handbags and suitcases during our annual travels arranged by the bank, and I had to catch up with them," Tian says.
"But I found renting is perfect for meeting occasional needs and saves a lot of money. My friends and many bank staff members also like the service very much."
ZhuLi, manager of a luxury store near Beijing's high-end SCITECH Plaza shopping center, says: "By leasing, salaried workers can enjoy luxury brands. It saves resources and maximizes the use of high-end products."
Thebusiness' peak seasons are around holidays and year-end periods, when individuals and companies need luxury products for parties, banquets and celebrations, she says.
WangShijia, a 28-year-old clothing wholesaler, regularly visits Zhu's shop to rent handbags for banquets.
Wang, who was born to a wealthy family, owns nearly 50 products from a range of luxury brands but prefers to rent.
"After I started my career, I realized that it's not easy to earn money, so I've stopped squandering," says Wang, whose monthly income is nearly 50,000 yuan.
"If one can afford it, luxury goods can help to show one's taste and dignity. Otherwise, it's shameful to spend so much for nothing more than vanity."
YangandZhushareoptimismabouttheluxurybrandmarketandbelieveinChinesewealth's growing momentum.

ChinaisexpectedtoreplacetheUnitedStatesastheworld's biggest consumer of luxury brands by 2012, a report by Ipsos' China office said last October.
Mostbuyersareyoungerthan40.
Mainlanderspurchased$9.4 billion worth of luxury products in 2009, and the figure increased by 14 percent the following year, global market researcher Zheng Wenliang says, citing the report.
GlobalconsultingfirmMcKinsey& Company estimates luxury sales in China will grow by 18 percent annually to reach $27 billion by 2015, when it will account for more than one-fifth of the global luxury market.

Whilepraisingthefledglingluxurygoodsleasingindustry, experts have called for leasing options to cover daily consumption and production equipment to meet diversified social needs.
StateCouncilresearchfellowChenWenlingputsitlikethis: "Renters should offer services at various levels to cater to clients from different walks of life."

Ascend Integrated Media Recognized in Hermes International Creative Awards Competition

5/17/2012 - Custom content agency Ascend Integrated Media LLC has been awarded three Platinum and one Gold awards

in the 2012 Hermes Creative Awards Competition. The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition media and

communications agencies as well as marketers. It is sponsored by The Association of Marketing & Communications

Professionals.

This year’s Hermes Creative Awards was one of the toughest competitions on record with more than 4,700 entries from

across the U.S. as well as from numerous foreign countries. Ascend entered work created for four of its clients and

received award recognition for all four.

According to Ascend’s CEO, Cam Bishop, “We were thrilled to have won for even one of our clients’ entries, much

less winning for all four. If I played pro baseball, I think this is what it would feel like to hit that grand slam

and drive in four runs. Even better, this tremendous recognition from AMCP is a great way to help us celebrate our

30th anniversary year this year.”

Rhonda Wickham, Ascend’s vice president of content said, “The four Hermes Creative Awards bring Ascend Integrated

Media’s total awards won from nearly a dozen different national and international creative competitions to 36 in

just the last two years. Equally important, Ascend has won for client work in a vast array of industries. The work

represents the team’s creative efforts in writing, graphic design, digital media, mobile media and multimedia.”

Ascend Integrated Media won Hermes Creative Competition awards for the work it created and produced for the

following clients:
• Platinum: American Academy of Diabetes Educators for a new consumer education book entitled, "Managing Diabetes:

Complications and Comorbidites"
• Platinum: Stanislaus County/Modesto, California for its bilingual "Stanislaus County Transportation Guide"
• Platinum: Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) for its 2012 Convening Leaders “PCMA Show Daily

Newspaper Series”
• Gold: American Academy of Diabetes Educators for its "AADE Las Vegas Annual Meeting Guide"


About Ascend Integrated Media
Ascend Integrated Media LLC is a custom media agency that specializes in custom publishing, trade show and event

publishing, custom content creation and content integration. Based in Overland Park, KS, the agency celebrates its

30th anniversary this year. Ascend Integrated Media is uniquely positioned to work with associations, nonprofits,

government agencies and companies to develop and produce brand-enhancing communications products. The company

engages on behalf of the client to create, produce and distribute print, digital and mobile content associated with

marketing, branding and social media initiatives. Ascend’s suite of fully integrated products and services includes

print and digital magazine publishing, newspaper publishing, newsletters and e-newsletters, membership directories,

product buyers' guides, exhibit guides, city guides, maps, annual reports, hotel door-drop services,

advertising/sponsorship and exhibit sales representation, patient education information, website design and

management, Smartphone mobile app development, iPad/tablet publishing as well as social media account management,

targeted text/SMS services and QR code programs. For more information, go to www.ascendintegratedmedia.com.

'Fashion Star' Recap: Kara Laricks Ties It Up

After ten weeks of frustration, heartbreak and aggravation, it's finally time to crown the first-ever Fashion Star. But who will it be? Perhaps the former teacher Kara Laricks, who's been selling her womenswear with men's detailing like hotcakes since the beginning of the show? Or Nzimiro Oputa, the ex-engineer, never-had-a-design-lesson wünderkind who is a master at expressive men's clothing? Or Ronnie Escalante, the dark horse who didn't sell diddly squat for about five episodes until he sort of snapped into the game, becoming a favorite of the mentors with his women's eveningwear?

It's really anyone's game at this point. Yet before we get to the matter at hand, we have the pleasure of witnessing the true genius of this show: Jessica Simpson, who brings out her spring, Hawaii-themed collection. Fellow judges John Varvatos and Nicole Richie showed their respective collections on past episodes, but this is evidence that Simpson is seen as the mentor with the most selling power. After all, only she gets to show her line during the finale and the numbers do speak for themselves. (Maybe next season we'll see her maternity line?)

At any rate, cheers to Simpson! She does get a bit emo during the runway show because she's never seen her clothes showcased on the catwalk.

So, back to the contest. In order to win tonight's coveted prize of a $6 million collection deal, the three remaining designers must sell their three separate collections to each store: Macy's, Saks and H&M. The first round is H&M.

H&M buyer Nicole Christiesays what we've all known from the start of the season: that Laricks has a "unique perspective." She goes on to say that she is happy to see Escalante's natural "progression" throughout the competition. Is Fashion Starlooking for the designer that evolves or who has innate talent? We're not sure.

Laricks' line hits the runway first. We see a very contemporary collection with a black, white, red and taupe color scheme. One dress – a matte satin, color-block sleeveless frock – is paired with a long button-front and pocketed skirt (resembling a dress with a longer skirt underneath). She also shows wide-leg cotton shorts with a flared racerback top and a short-sleeved suit featuring cropped pants with a dropped crotch and a matte satin sleeveless top. (Now, when we say "dropped crotch," we mean dropped crotch, like MC Hammer pants-meets-2012. Woah, perhaps these looks are a bit too contemporary.)

Next up is Oputa, who says he is showcasing both a male and female line for H&M by "doing male clothes for women and just making it smaller."

His line is relatively similar to what we've seen him do in prior weeks, and he does it quite well: tapered menswear-inspired pants (for her) with striped pocket trim and a sleeveless blouse topped with a striped vest with button shoulder detail. For men, Oputa shows a traditional khaki pant with a bold plaid shirt featuring leather epaulettes and elbow patches, shorts with a cotton shirt with shoulder roll detail and a vest. Though it is quite casual and cool, we had hoped Oputa would have done a suit for the average H&M male shopper. It is the finale – why not go all out?

Escalante shows three very classy looks for H&M including a silken pearl gray sleeveless jumpsuit featuring a keyhole in front and slash pockets, a black dress with flowing layers of silk chiffon and a black three-piece suit. Although we are quite impressed with these three looks, the suit is a standard Ross Bennett look and that's a no-no in our book.

Varvatos calls Laricks' low-crotch pants "too crotchety."

"Nothing wrong with a little bit of crotch, John," host Elle Macpherson says. There she goes again, being a cheeky monkey.

Oputa hardly gets a critique from the mentors, as his flirtatious banter with Richie continues during this crucial last episode. He says his nude-colored scarf is actually "Nicole's pantyhose." Meanwhile, Simpson calls Escalante the "unsung hero." Now, let's not get too melodramatic.

Christie says Laricks' collection is a "cohesive capsule," Oputa's women's looks blew her "socks off" and Escalante should have added more color in his line. All offers will be made at the end of the show, but according to her comments, it looks as though Oputa won this round. Why wouldn't she buy a line that leaves her sockless?

Now it's time for Saks Fifth Avenue, a/k/a hard-to-please buyer Terron E. Schaefer, to have his way with the designers. Schaefer says, in retrospect, that Oputa's clothes have too many "bells & whistles," while Laricks says Schaefer has always understood "who she is."  Escalante says he "really needs to dig deep for this one." No kidding. We've grown tired of his whole "worked with Zac Posen" shtick. Can someone please tell us what he actually did there?

Laricks shows her line first, which includes a cotton orange tee with a wide-leg trouser and a sleek wrap-front panel (half pants, half skirt? what?), tailored shorts with a contour hemmed jacket with rich leather insets and a pretty stunning split V-neck, long, nude dress with leather inserts and a removable back sash.

Oputa's "beast to boardwalk" line is way too casual (again, and especially for Saks), but hey, this is what he does well. His first look is cuffed swim trunks with neon detailing and a color-blocked t-shirt with a cotton sweater. The second look is a lightweight shirt and pants with a camel-colored knit vest. Lastly a preppy hipster look: red pants and a printed long-sleeve shirt.

Contemplating Oputa's look thus far, we doubt he can win tonight regardless of his impeccable taste and talent. We hardly believe the winner will be a men's designer. Why? Women love to shop largely for themselves. Sad but true.

Last is Escalante, who shows another three-piece suit with double collar (Bennett, cough, cough), an elegant and sparkling sleeveless knee-length dress and a fabulous bold floral print maxi dress. We must give props where props are due: the last dress is incredible and seems Frida Kahlo-inspired.

Varvatos says Laricks' dress is "freaking gorgeous" and that it was "inspiring just to see them."

"I think you know what a man is about," Simpson says to Oputa about his Saks line, which sort of ensues a verbal catfight between her and Richie regarding their adoration of Oputa.

"We're gonna be ripping each other's extensions," Richie says. She says to Escalante, "That suit was bowchickawowwow. I can't get enough of you.''

Schaefer calls Laricks the absolute "leader." Wait, does that mean what we think it means? Did he just call it? Schaefer says Oputa's line is "the perfect wardrobe for the beach'' and then tells Escalante he "didn't understand if it was a capsule collection." This comment makes Escalante defend his line, which is a first for him, and we applaud him for backing up his line.

Finally, the last showcase of the night: Macy's!

During the designers' time in the studio, we can feel the tension building up. Escalante must deliver a line for Macy's that isn't eveningwear. The pattern makers (the real unsung heroes) seem to be losing their minds and clashing with the designers. Both Laricks and Oputa say their main competitor is Escalante. Holy crap.

Laricks showcases three looks that include an A-line black dress, a racerback top with self-tie front off-seam pockets and pleated cuffed shorts and an "office-look" that features a short-sleeved, collarless blazer with cropped, tapered and pleated ankle-length pants and a colorful tie-neck blouse. This line doesn't scream innovation but it does scream Macy's.

Oputa's line for Macy's is a bit more structured, featuring a graphic-print button-up shirt with khaki trousers, a long hoodie sweater and a color-block (zig-zag) polo shirt paired with tailored, cuffed shorts and a tailored linen shirt with pants. Overall: Okay. The zig-zag polo shirt throws us for a loop, but that's always better than a yawn.

Last, and usually least, Escalante shows another bold flower-print maxi dress (this time sleeveless), an hourglass-shaped floral print panel on the front of a black dress, and another(!) three piece suit, this time a tuxedo with a double collar. While these are good looks, we highly doubt Escalante can win based on two lines that look extremely similar. There's no way Saks and Macy's would sell almost identical collections.

"You never disappoint,'' Simpson says to Laricks. Very true. She adds that Laricks' clothes "challenge the everyday woman to step outside the box."

Varvatos says Oputa's Macy's line is a "home run." We say more of a second-base hit. Varvatos also says Escalante's suit was "the best."

Macy's Caprice Willardlikes Laricks' suit, says Oputa "nailed it," and tells Escalante that he "found a way to stay true to yourself." That last comment doesn't ensure "winner."

Now the mentors and buyers deliberate. We only hear a tiny bit of what they discuss, which is a darn shame. We're almost positive the juicy conversation here is grade-A gossip. Richie is obviously fighting for Oputa, saying he "really brought it, you guys" and reminds the buyers he is "self-taught."

Schaefer makes his claim for Laricks, while Richie adds she is a "specialty designer" and won't "speak to America the way Ronnie will." Ouch, but America can have dreadful taste.

Willard says, "I have a lot of Ronnies on my floor." Wow, case closed!

From these statements alone, we're going to say Oputa will win (damn you, segment editors!), though he and Laricks have shown the most ambition throughout each episode.

The designers are brought out for one last go-round with the mentors.

"You guys are so unbelievable. You've inspired me to be better,"' Simpson says, bawling.

The winner is...drum roll...LARICKS!

Yikes, the lady is in shock – as are we. Well, not really. "I'm so thrilled that I can keep designing," she cries.