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Maxx New York
Distinguished by a unique interpretation of color, a
contemporary design sense, an appreciation of trends, and a
respect for the needs and preferences of today's women, Maxx
New York is the answer for women seeking something fresh and
creative in a handbag suitable for both corporate and casual
wear. The product of an unlikely partnership (business and
personal) between a native New Yorker with a background in
fashion and art, and an enterprising Moroccan with a taste for
Entrepreneurship, Maxx handbags are functional, fashionable
and available in colors that complement the current season's
ready-to-wear collections, shoes and other accessories.
The Maxx team
of designers works together to bring the most innovative
styles to life in high quality materials including polished
and soft leathers and Italian microfiber characterized by its
dense weave, super soft hand and great strength. Each bag is
designed to be worn close to the body and offer the wearer
functional ease and convenience with inside and outside zipper
pockets. Additionally, all fabrics bags are treated to provide
stain and water resistance.
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Maxx
New York Handbags & Purses for Sale Online.
Miu Miu
The fashion
business runs deep in Miuccia Prada's veins, but the former
mime performer and political science PhD seemed an unlikely
successor to her family's luxury leather goods company started
by her grandfather in 1913. Nonetheless, the reluctant Miuccia
assumed control of the Milan-based family business in 1978 and
turned Prada into one of the most exciting names in fashion.
Her sleek, black nylon handbags created a flurry among
fashionistas in 1985 and paved the way for her highly
acclaimed ready-to-wear collection introduced four years
later. Prada's precise, clean lines were embraced by the
fashion elite as well as celebrities such as Uma Thurman, who
turned heads at the 1995 Academy Awards in a dreamy lavender
Prada ensemble. With a less expensive sister line, Miu Miu as
well as boutiques around the world, this mime gone mogul has
an estimated fortune of $1.4 billion and was recently named by
the Wall Street Journal as one of the 30 Most Powerful Women
in Europe.
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Miu
Miu Handbags & Purses for Sale
Online.
Nine West
In less than thirty year, Nine West has evolved to become a
world-renowned fashion leader. Established in 1978, the Nine
West brand took its name from its founding address at 9 West
57th Street in New York City. Today, Nine West in beloved by
women's around the world, offering not just footwear, but
handbags, sportswear, dresses, eyewear, sunglasses, leg wear,
outerwear, jewelry, belts, hats and cold weather accessories.
nine West recently introduced suits, luggage, scarves and
wraps and kids footwear. Nine West is a trusted fashion
advisor in every category.
Nine West offers
a quick edit of runways - pinpointing the "must-have" looks
through the Hot 9. Consumers have come to rely on the Hot 9
for the latest trends and hottest looks of the season. Sold in
60 countries, Nine West is recognized as a total lifestyle
brand offering runway interpreted into real life fashions.
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Nine
West
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Prada
Prada is an Italian Fashion House
established in Milan, Italy in 1913 by Mario Prada and his
brother. The company became a purveyor of quality leather
goods. In 1978, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada, took over
the helm of the company. With her distinctive style in
clothing, footwear and accessories, Miuccia Prada developed an
innovative line of both clothing and accessories. The use of
microfiber in leather goods and clothing can be attributed to
her.
Since the mid-1990s, there have
been few status symbols as potent as the Prada-embossed silver
triangle. The power of the Prada badge is such that it
transforms even an ordinary black nylon knapsack into a
must-have accessory. But it has not always been that way.
Before the arrival of Miuccia Prada, and, especially before
Uma Thurman sauntered down the red-carpeted Academy Awards in
that spectacular lavender chiffon dress, Prada was just a
family-run leather goods business stuck in the fashion
backwaters of Milan. The combination of smart management,
clever designs, and media might turned Prada into, well,
beach-front property sitting atop a gold mine.
Miuccia Prada's grandfather
opened a boutique selling high quality leather goods and
accessories in 1913 in Milan. Business was consistent but by
the '70s, high-powered competitors like Gucci and Hermès had
forced Prada into near-bankruptcy. In 1978, Miuccia Prada and
her husband, Patrizio Bertelli, reluctantly took control of
the floundering business. Patrizio took charge of management
while Miuccia, who had eschewed the family business to take a
Ph.D. degree in political science, designed collections. Now,
over two decades later, they head a
eight-hundred-million-dollar business.
Prada did not venture into ready-to-wear until 1989. Miuccia
Prada's first collection was a seemingly impossible
contradiction: a minimalist reincarnation of the 1970s. We
recognized the bell-bottoms and the peasant blouses, but they
were stripped of hippy frou-frou and rendered in neutral
shades.
Since then, Miuccia Prada has guided the company's
ready-to-wear line into inventive territory. There was the
Mondrian-inspired collection of white dresses decorated with
thin red strips ending in dots like long, skinny exclamation
marks. Critics praised her spring-summer '98 show for its
embroidered latex, horizontal beading and flowers. Wavy,
uncertain hems gave the collection a homespun feel while
computer-generated prints kept it future-savvy.
Prada has also made a name for
itself in fabric innovation. Miuccia Prada has experimented
with translucent latexes and papery polyamides, mixed plastics
and satins, and incorporated strips of film and mirror
fragments into her clothing.
The success of the flagship Prada line led the company to
start the youth-targeted 'Miu Miu' line in 1992. There are
other offshoots like 'Granello' and 'Prada Sport', and a
lingerie line that was added in 1997, but Prada has developed
surprisingly few licenses. We have as yet to see the Prada
perfumed candles or what is certain to be cutting-edge Prada
spectacles.
Prada
Prada, SpA is an Italian fashion company (also known as a
"label" or "house") with retail outlets worldwide.
The company, originally known in Italian as Fratelli Prada
("Prada Brothers"), was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada. In
1978, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada inherited what was
still a leather goods business from her mother, and led the
company's expansion into haute couture.
Miuccia first gained her reputation for creative use of
materials and simple, modern lines with her 1985 line of sleek
black handbags made from parachute nylon. These novel,
high-priced bags quickly became widely sought-after, and
spawned a global industry of counterfeit Prada goods.
Prada's first prêt-à-porter, or "ready-to-wear" collection was
designed by Miuccia Prada in the autumn/winter season of 1989.
The collection's plain, modern lines were a stark contrast to
other labels' flamboyant, sexual designs, and fueled a sharp
rise in Prada's popularity.
In addition to the original Prada line, the company introduced
the Miu Miu collection, a lower-priced line aimed at a younger
audience, in 1992. The Miu Miu line, which shares Miuccia
Prada's nickname, emphasizes earthy colors and a less haute
couture look, evoking an overall more bohemian style. In its
advertising campaigns, waif-like models in "home photo" poses
further the look. Miu Miu clothing is often simple, and evokes
a continual image of high-end vintage items. It was followed
by the Prada Sport collection.
Prada rose to fashion primacy in the early 1990s on a look
epitomized by thick, square glasses and garish colors known as
"Prada Ugly." Prada takes a decidedly -- and consciously --
intellectual approach to fashion. The look of the early 2000's
has been described as that of a "chic neo-fascist army" by the
New York Times. Other critics have described Prada's look by
comparing it to Gucci's: While the Gucci girl is swigging
shots of tequila in the back of a nightclub wearing a
miniskirt and halter top, the Prada girl is reading Proust in
a café.
Prada won a Council of Fashion Designers of America
International Award for accessories in 1993.
Although Prada remains the pinnacle of contemporary fashion
following Tom Ford's retirement -- in 2004 Vogue
Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour is said to have told Miuccia
Prada that she was "the only reason anyone comes to Milan" for
runway shows -- it continues to derive the overwhelming bulk
of its revenues from its original leather goods business, the
sale of shoes and handbags.
Following lead in other companies in a popular trend of large
labels to absorb as many other fashion houses as possible,
Prada took on large debts to take on the financially
floundering Rome-based house of Fendi in the early 1990s.
Prada shared shares in Fendi with the Louis Vuitton Moet
Hennesy (LVMH) company. Prada was unable to turn
around/support the money-losing Fendi label, and sold its
Fendi shares to LVMH. Prada is still to recover from this
debt. The only brand to avoid the pitfalls of forming a large
luxury label company is that of Giorgio Armani.
Other labels within the Prada Group corporate umbrella include
Helmut Lang and Jil Sander.
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Prima Classe
Veteran traveler, devoted student of art, architecture and
design, Alviero Martini moved through many creative arenas
before he became the Designer of Prima Classe. Theater, scenic
arts, graphics, illustration and fashion design all played
important parts in his development of a designer of fine,
travel-inspired handbags, personal accessories and luggage in
the unique and attractive collections of Prima Classe.
His
inspiration for the collections featured on Ashford.com began
in a Moscow bookshop when he found an old faded map, which he
later applied to a suitcase, and thus generated the theme for
a signature line of travel bags and accessories including
backpacks, duffels, handbags, valises and brief cases.
Capturing the spirit of adventure, the Prima Classe line
appeals directly to the heart of modern and intrepid travelers
who cherish their memories of their explorations.
Each piece is
individually handcrafted from coated cotton canvas and printed
in nine colors on a golden beige background with a silkscreen
process. In addition, each piece is trimmed in high quality
Vachetta leather with top quality, custom designed brass
hardware.
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Roxy
Back in the Stone Age when some unknown carved a board,
specifically to ride a wave, the foundation for contemporary
boardsports was established. The activity came to Hawaii 1500
years ago with the arrival of the first Polynesians. In the
post European contact period, authors Jack London and Mark
Twain were early enthusiasts.
Acceptance of surfing was greatly expanded through the
exploits of Hawaiian waterman Duke Kahanamoku. Duke, the
swimming sensation of the 1912 Olympic games, toured the world
enthusiastically promoting his native culture. In the process
Duke introduced surfing to Australia, the eastern US coast, as
well as many of Hollywood's top personalities.
By the 1920’s there were approximately three hundred dedicated
wave riders in the world. World War II curtailed the growth of
the emerging surf scene. Soon after the war, newly developed
materials such as Styrofoam, polyester resin and fiberglass
cloth found their way into surfboard construction.
Enterprising veterans such as Dale Velzy and Malibu’s Joe
Quigg began to craft boards that were radical departures from
the old pre-war planks. These easy to ride boards opened up
the once exclusive sport to legions of enthusiasts.
Hollywood discovered the one-time sport of Hawaiian Kings and
a full-blown fad exploded. Gidget, the 1959 motion picture,
prompted commercialism. Surf mania ran rampant. Kids in Kansas
began bolting surfboards to their car tops in an effort to
appear cool.
Fads and function operate on different paradigms. Looking like
a surfer is not the same thing as being a surfer. In the
beginning those who rode the waves wore nothing at all. By the
start of the twentieth century, surfers attempted to adapt
extant surf bathing attire to their own use. From Santa Cruz
to Sydney surfers fought a losing battle with the heavy woolen
tank suits that were originally intended for a passive dunk at
the plunge. In Hawaii "da bruddahs" cut off the tops of their
woolens, forever voiding the best intentions of the Victorian
moralists.
Back in the 1930’, early surf proponents like Palos Verdes
Surf Club founder, Doc Ball, fashioned their own trunks in the
effort to discover a workable garment. For the most part
though, conventional clothing manufacturers turned out thinly
disguised versions of the ubiquitous swim trunk.
By the sixties, surf chic was a cultural phenomenon. Carloads
of guys wearing suits and wing-tipped dress shoes showed up on
the sands of Malibu on research and destroy missions. The
clever marketers from the garment district even tried the
protective camouflage- celebrity model approach. Blatant
examples of this were evident in the surf crazed 1960’s.
Jantzen went with frontmen Paul Hornung of the Green Bay
Packers, John Severson, the publisher of Surfer Magazine and
United States Surfing Champion Corky Carroll. MacGregor used
board manu Hobie Alter as a pitchman. Catalina Martin
sponsored the Malibu Surfing Association, the Wind an Sea
Club. Catalina went so far as to partially underwrite the Blum
brothers’ movie The Fantastic Plastic Machine chronicling the
emergent V- bottom short board revolution in Australia.
A few years later, indigenous root brands came to market: Hang
Ten, Birdwell Beach Britches, Golden Breed, Kanvas by Katin,
Reed of Newport and Roy's Beach Cabana. By and large these
products imitated the garments favored by traveling surfers
that were made by small Hawaiian boutique tailors like M. Nii
of Waianae, Taki of Waikiki , H. Muira and Reyn Spooner. These
trunks were constructed of stiff heavy canvas and were totally
restrictive to movement. The fact was surf trunks were not
designed for the act of surfing.
Ostensibly these Baggies may have been passable gear back in
the stand and pose phase of the sport. Board lengths and
weights dropped dramatically towards the end of the sixties.
This dawn of newer directions in surfing under scored how
archaic these stiff bathing suit relics actually were. Instead
of riding on the waves in the old hopelessly heroic
straight-line style, people were now actively traveling all
over the wave’s surface in agile anarchy. Progressive moves
like acceleration turning, riding inside of the barrel and
flying off of the lip obviously demanded equally modern
boardshorts.
Alan Green and John Law, two surfers from down under, ripped
apart some old trunks and discarded the portions that they
deemed unnecessary or undesirable. Gone was the leaden canvas,
the lace up front, the long stovepipe legs, the double thick
seams and buttons that hurt when you paddled. Nothing of the
old was left so they started from scratch. A pattern that was
anatomically based was devised to move with the surfer.
Green and Law’s innovative trunk was made from a durable,
lightweight fabric that dried rapidly. Their boardshorts had
short scalloped legs that didn’t bind or hang up. The styling
was essentially clean. A wide waistband yielded support. They
designed a snap that held and placed it so a bloke could
paddle. There were no decorative add-ons. There was a wax
pocket, a lay flat Velcro front closure and that was about
it.
So Green and Law put them on and went surfing. Hard at it, all
day every day. People notice what works. They also pay
attention to individuals who devote years to chasing a dream.
Soon other riders would do anything to get one of these
elusive newfangled boardshorts. This was the birth of
Quiksilver, the genuine, original, functional choice of the
hard core participant.
Leading the beg, borrow and steal a pair brigade, was the
foremost competitor of the decade Jeff Hakman. Personally
trained by the Duke, he understood both the history of the
activity and the scope of greatness. Tutored by the legendary
surfboard shaper Richard Brewer he had an immediate grasp of
functional design. Above all, as one of the key players in the
radicalization of surfing itself, Hakman knew the future when
he saw it. In Torquay, Oz for a contest, Jeff got one of those
glimpses. Quiksilver boardshorts. With a little chicanery Jeff
managed to abscond with some that he forgot to return to his
mate, Australian pro Mark Warren. They were a perfect fit and
everywhere Hakman toured people were mad to possess them.
Back home in Hawaii, Jeff enlisted the aid of his houseguest
Bob “Buzz” McKnight a surf film maker who just happened to be
close to graduating from the University of Southern California
with a business degree. The demand for these new boardshorts
was there. The design was there. Everyone who wore them said
these Quiksilver’s were the most comfortable trunks that they
had ever worn. Bob, in addition to surfing everyday, was a
business major. How can you fail with a combination like that,
Hakman reasoned. With his usual persistence, Jeff managed to
persuade Green and Law to grant Bob and himself the American
license to the magic boardshort. No recounting of the annals
of the sport fails to include the torrid tale of the eager to
impress Hakman actually eating the serving doily off of the
dinner table at the Quiet Woman restaurant much to the delight
of Greenie. A great partnership had begun.
By the mid-1970’s, a small office/warehouse/distribution
center was opened in Newport Beach, California. McKnight and
Hakman built a business based on word of mouth, quality,
unbelievable service and their extensive personal contacts at
surf shops on all three coasts of the USA.
Growing a company that produces a never seen before product
category is a difficult way to go. The partners were hard at
it product testing in the water, designing at the sewing
machines and selling to the surf shops. Leading converts from
surfing’s new school like Danny Kwock came on board. The
firm’s constant innovation in materials, high tech fabrics and
cutting edge graphics helped propel Quiksilver further.
Involvement in assorted extremist boarding activities lead to
the creation of newer designs for these varied avocations.
Novel apparel for committed Snowboarders, Skiers,
Skateboarders, Wakeboarders and Windsurfers led to additional
expansion. The Quiksilver program is universally recognized as
the embodiment of purist improvisation and innovation.
Quiksilver’s position of leadership in the international teen
and young adult markets is undeniable.
Quiksilver was instrumental in stimulating the current growth
in women’s boardsports participation. The introduction of the
Roxy junior swim and sportswear company in 1993 inspired major
trends in the activity. Roxy was the first company to create
functional, yet fashion driven clothing and equipment for both
the would- be and accomplished female surfer. The unique style
of Roxy’s performance-inspired design has been widely imitated
throughout the fashion industry.
Long before the bastions of mainstream news reporting began
charting the company’s progress, there was an elemental
approach at work within Quiksilver unique to the company.
Following Quiksilver’s initial stock offering in 1986, there
has been a continual interest in the company’s activities.
Many of these narratives center on the organization’s notable
accomplishments: the over three million dollar per year gross
sales and a unique prominence in the growing US teen market,
which has over one hundred billion dollars of discretionary
spending power each year in the US alone. So why does CEO and
chairman of the board Robert B. McKnight Jr. insist that key
management repeatedly meet on field trips and indulge the
pursuits of gravity before they sit down to meet?
First and foremost Quiksilver’s products are created out of
need. Whatever success they will enjoy is always secondary to
that point. From Alan and John’s first pair of boardshorts
through the aggressive new imagery of the Echo Beach period of
the Eighties, down to anything in the line today, this is
authentic performance gear. The point is that Quik stuff works
so well because the people who design, make and sell it demand
that it excel. This is why board meetings may be scheduled on
European slopes, a ship off the coast of Java or a lake in
Arizona. Quiksilver employees are a vital part of all research
and development. They are the end user; everything they do is
designed for them. There are no corporate marketing mission
statements, trend- marketing surveys or fashion forecasts
anywhere near it. Simple logic is, just create the best, most
functional items imaginable and then work it. A survey of
current Quiksilver employees will reveal an impressive number
of former world, national, state and pro competitive title
winners in surfing, sailboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding
and skateboarding. You don't find this coefficient of reality
elsewhere.
The Quiksilver style is rooted in the activity. Proof of the
viability of Quiksilver's passionate approach can be found in
its continued support of athletes such as six-time world
professional surfing champion Kelly Slater and women’s four-
time world professional surfing champion Lisa Andersen.
Affiliates often take their association with the company
further. Rusty Keaulana, in addition to being a three-time
world longboard champion, works with disadvantaged children in
the Hawaiian community. Two-time world champion Tom Carroll
develops prototype equipment in Australia. Ten- time
international windsurfing champion Robby Naish is involved
with European operations. Legendary waterman Barry Kanaiaupuni
and six-time world professional surfing champion Kelly Slater
own Quiksilver Boardriders Clubs. Bruce Raymond, an Australian
surfing champion, is the International Director of Marketing.
Founding figure and multiple International Pro Champion Jeff
Hakman still works daily in concert with Harry Hodge in
France. Former United States surfing champion Willy Morris is
a sales rep in California. Quiksilver also sponsors a healthy
number of surf teams, snowboard teams and a diverse selection
of skateboarders, sailboarders, wakeboarders and motocross
riders. The company also organizes and sponsors numerous
contests and events ranging in scope from premiere
international events to small community based efforts that its
riders and dealers may be involved with.
The events created by Quiksilver may prove to be one of the
company's most compellingl legacies. The choice of location,
selection of invitees, method of judging, the style, look and
promotion are all variables that are fine tuned in the making
of a Quik event. A number of these projects have influenced
the development of the extreme sports milieu.
A selection of these influential events includes: The Eddie
Aikau Big Wave Invitational Series at Waimea Bay; The
ground-breaking 1995 Quiksilver Pro at G-Land, Indonesia, that
put hardcore credibility back into professional surfing events
(the best surfers in the best waves); The World Amateur
Surfing Championships at Newquay England, 1986; The Quiksilver
Snowboarding and Surfing Cup in Europe; The Quiksilver Roxy
Pro at Sunset Beach, North Shore, Oahu; The Quiksilver Winter
Classic Surf/Snow Event; The Quiksilver Mavericks Big Wave
Event; The Roxy Surf Jam at Hanalei and Ventura, The Silver
Edition Molokai to Oahu Paddleboard Race. These pioneering
events have firmly established Quiksilver as the authentic
leader in the extreme sports market.
Another unique Quiksilver involvement is a series of
innovative concept stores and shops, which have greatly
improved both brand recognition and distribution standards.
Quiksilver Boardriders Clubs and in- store shops, Quiksvilles
and Roxyvilles, have become key retail models around the
world. Presently, there are one hundred and twenty four
Quiksilver Boardriders Clubs globally including twenty in the
United States. Trend setting in both their concept and
execution, they are definitive presentations of the Quiksilver
ethic. Flagship stores in Paris, London and New York are often
mentioned by the fashion and business press as examples of
truly entertaining retail concepts.
Today, Quiksilver offers a diverse line of products under its
umbrella including a complete clothing collection,
accessories, eyewear, watches, and wetsuits. A similar
offering for boys ages 8-14 years old, 4-7 years old and
toddlers. The Winter Sports division is emerging with
snowboarding apparel and hard goods designed for high
performance enthusiasts. To further expand the division, in
1997, Quiksilver acquired Mervin, a snowboard manufacturing
company that makes Gnu and Lib Tech snowboards and Bent Metal
step in bindings. Quiksilver Silver Edition is a line of
clothing targeting the now 30-50 year old waterman. Girl’s
lines including Roxy, Raisins, Radio Fiji, and Leilani
swimwear are stronger than ever.
Quiksilver has become far more than just a fashion apparel
company. It is a company with deep roots in the history of the
demanding outdoor sports lifestyle. Quiksilver, now a truly
global brand, remains a pioneering force in the most original
of all sports: surfing.
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Roxy
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Versace
Founded in 1978, Versace is one of the world's leading
international fashion houses. The Italian parent company of
the Versace Group, Gianni Versace S.p.A., designs, markets and
distributes luxury clothing, accessories, fragrances, makeup
and home furnishings under the various brands of the Versace
Group. These brands include: Versace, Versus, Versace Jeans
Couture, Versace Classic V2, Versace Sport, Versace Intensive,
Versace Young and Palazzo Versace.
Versace's Style Department employs an exceptional group of
designers and stylists who work in teams specifically
dedicated to each individual line. All of these teams operate
under the close supervision and guidance of Creative Director, Donatella Versace.
To ensure the highest quality, all Versace products are
crafted by carefully selected manufacturers. Versace
collections are distributed through a network of 240 exclusive
boutiques, over 150 dedicated spaces in major department
stores and duty-free areas, as well as a number of selective
multi-brand boutiques in 60 countries.
The Versace Group directly employs 1,500 people and provides
indirect labor for an additional 5,000 worldwide.
With a solid international presence, the Versace Group boasted
sales in excess of 822 billion lira and net earnings of 18
billion lira in the 1999 fiscal year.
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Versace Handbags &
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