Fundas Life Style: June 2009

Friday, June 19, 2009

Valencian Design Debuts in Soho

A showcase of Fashion and Design from the Region of Valencia, Spain- one of the emerging style hubs of Europe - makes its debut this month in New York.

· Valencia Design is a showcase of designers representing the Region of Valencia, a trend-setting region at the forefront of Spanish fashion.

· The Valencian Design Showroom will present the newest collections from nineteen Valencian designers in the heart of the New York’s Soho District at 50 Greene St., New York (Grand and Broom).

· Valencia Design will be open to TRADE AND PRESS June 24^th – 26^th from 10.00 am – 8.00 pm and open to the General Public June 25^th from 6.00-9.00 pm for a wine and tapas reception as part of The Spanish Mile in Soho event.

The Region of Valencia, Spain has established itself as an emerging center for Fashion and Design in Europe. Blending the vanguard and the traditional, modernity with craftsmanship – its designers have made a name for themselves in the highly competitive world of European design, and have positioned themselves internationally as innovators and trend-setters.

This June, nineteen design-driven companies from the Region of Valencia that produce fashion, footwear, and accessories will present their latest collections in a 3,000 square foot showroom in the heart of the Soho district, creating a space where Valencian designers, some of whom are already well-established in the U.S., can demonstrate their native talent and creativity. The featured designers are:

FOOTWEAR: Audley, Biviel, Chie Mihara, Eli, Garvalin, Gioseppo, Hispanitas, Juan Antonio Lopez, Magrit, Oca –Loca, Romus, Sara Navarro and Vidorreta.

APPAREL: Alex Vidal, Barcarola, Dolores Cortes Beachwear, Francis Montesinos and Miquel Suay

ACCESSORIES: Lladró

Valencian Design is known for its bright, lively colors, evocative of the region’s Mediterranean shores. It is born of a historically diverse cultural background that has produced an aesthetic of contrasts - a cosmopolitan, restless and energetic approach to design that draws on centuries of craftsmanship.

Over half of the shoes designed and manufactured in Spain come from the Valencia Region. Their top two export markets: France and Italy, both highly competitive markets that know a thing or two about stylish footwear, selling 8 million pairs of shoes last year in Italy alone.

Valencian Design is organized by IVEX, the Trade Promotion Agency for the Region of Valencia, Spain, with offices in New York since 1993. The showroom is meant to coincide with “The Spanish Mile” a tour of Spanish designer showrooms in Soho organized by the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The Region of Valencia

Strategically situated on the Eastern coast of Spain, in the center of the Mediterranean coast, the Region of Valencia boasts one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. The hosting of various internationally renowned events such as the America’s Cup, the Formula One European Grand Prix, the Volvo Ocean Race, as well as world class infrastructure projects such as the City of Arts and Sciences designed by Santiago Calatrava to be an icon of modernity, has situated the Region of Valencia as one of the most internationally visible regions of Spain.

For information contact IVEX New York, by phone at +1 212 922 9000 or by email at ivexnyc@ivexusa.com.

SeaVees Pantone White Shoes to Celebrate Summer Solstice

It all begins with white. SeaVees, Purveyors of California Casual, celebrates the foundation of color with the introduction of the 09/63 SeaVees Pantone White. A collaborative effort between SeaVees and color authority Pantone, this limited edition style honors the release of the first PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM in September 1963.

Pantone White is the basis for all 587 colors found in the original PMS guide.

True to their inspiration, each SeaVees style is named to recognize an important date in California-cool history. The 09/63, pursuant to an exclusive agreement, marks the first time in their 45 year history Pantone has allowed an external design team to utilize their hallowed archives.

The 09/63 SeaVees Pantone White is a solitary release to commemorate the Summer Solstice - the official beginning of summer (June 20, 2009 at 10:45 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time in California). Available starting 6/20/09 in select retail environments and at SeaVees.com. Retail price is $110.

Pantone x SeaVees is represented by The Skyline Studios. For licensing opportunities with the Pantone Universe brand, please contact Debra Stevenson, 213.624.1070 debra@buzzflikr.com.

Cheeky Monkey Jewelry 2009 Collection : Celebrities Are Going Green

Cheeky Monkey Jewelry is the hottest “green” fashion trend of the season, catching the eyes of celebrities such as, Drew Barrymore, Tori Spelling, Liv Tyler, Ashley Tisdale, Jordin Sparks, and many more. These celebrities can be proud of purchasing Cheeky Monkey Jewelry not only for its beautiful, eco designs, but because Simon Cardwell uses his jewelry to raise awareness of important animal issues, and supports The Humane Society of the United States.

On Tuesday, July 14th from 4pm till 8pm, Cheeky Monkey Jewelry wants to invite you to celebrate being GREEN. One Sock events will be hosting a trunk show/cocktail party at the Brass Monkey’s roof top lounge, 55 Little West 12th street, where you will have the opportunity to purchase the jewelry at a reduced price, while contributing to multiple amazing causes.

Cheeky Monkey Jewelry cares about protecting Earth’s valuable resources and believes that one change can improve the environment in which we all live. That’s why all the materials that Cheeky Monkey Jewelry uses are made from 100% recycled and fair-trade gold, silver, and gems. To see more information about eco-friendly jewelry, please visit www.cheekymonkeyjewelry.com

Cheeky Monkey Jewelry has been featured in Teen Vogue, In-Style, Nylon, People Style Watch, USA Today, Dailycandy.com and numerous publications. Simon has also recently outfitted the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders with his hot animal jewelry to wear at the games and showcased in their annual eco-friendly calendar.

Simon Cardwell was born in Cambridge, England, a city known for its famous university and rolling hills. Simon could often be seen sketching the countryside and wildlife. His studies in nature brought him to London's Kingston University, where he graduated with an honors degree. Years later, while working on a South Africa game reserve, teaching underprivileged children art and sculpture, Simon found himself in awe of the animals, particularly a rhino with whom he came nose-to-nose. Cheeky Monkey Jewelry’s handmade pieces are a tribute to the animals and planet he’s come to know and love – and now seeks to protect.

Celebrity lifestyle can cause bankruptcy

The research, compiled by accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, is based on figures that show that the majority of bankrupts under 24 are now female.
It concludes that women succumb to the temptation for spending sprees as a reflection to their independence.

Last year, 55 per cent of young bankrupts were female, as compared to 48 per cent five years ago. Overall, 1,560 women under 24 were declared bankrupt in comparison to 1,250 men in the same age group.

The study has revealed that a large number of young women are under debt because they buy designer clothes and accessories to display the "trappings of success."
The research, based on data from The Insolvency Service, found that young women were keener than young men to show off their independence by renting or owning their own flat.
"Five years ago it tended to be young men who got out of their financial depth, but now it is far more likely to be young women who spend irresponsibly," the Telegraph quoted Anthony Cork of Wilkins Kennedy as telling the Daily Mail.

"That gap between the genders seems to be growing. Over the last decade, the pressure on young women to follow the lavish lifestyle of female celebrities has grown immensely," he said.

He added: "In all seriousness we are told that Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham are role models to be followed. The growing availability of credit has meant that for the status-conscious, who want to exhibit the trappings of success, designer clothes and jewellery seem misleadingly achievable."

Official figures have disclosed that 29 per cent of all 20 to 34-year-olds now live with their parents, as against just 18 per cent of women of the same age group.
Last year, around 67,500 people in all age groups went personally bankrupt in England and Wales, an increase of 89 per cent over the past five years.
Wilkins Kennedy said that overall, those over the age of 45 are the most likely to go bankrupt, as their ability to manage debt is compromised because of falling house prices and rising unemployment.

Almost 40 per cent of those declared bankrupt last year were over 45, with bankruptcy in this age group more than doubling in the past five years, from 10,594 in 2004 to 23,767 last year.

Fashion fraternity goes to Phuket, Paris

Designer Alpana of label Azara vouches for Costa Moi in Thailand
because it has clean beaches. "I went there with my husband after my marriage and fell in love with the place," she said.

"It has amazing beaches and the people there are so lively. It just lifts up your spirit," Alpana told IANS .

For Rana Gill, Paris is a great holiday destination because it has great siteseeing opportunities, good restaurants and endless shopping avenues. "That place is just perfect for a romantic holiday getaway and at the same time you can shop there as well," he said.

"I used to love Delhi but over the years it has become so crowded and polluted that I have started hating it. I am also in love with beaches as they are beautiful and you do not have to carry baggage and clothes are minimal too," he added.

For model Amanpreet Wahi, Phuket in Thailand is a shoppers' paradise and a travellers' delight because "you can do anything over there - dance on the streets, go nuts on the beach and have loads and loads of fun".

Model Esha Gupta says she would love to go to Spain not only for its beaches but also for its goodlooking men.

"I have never been to Spain but I would very much like to go there because I have heard a lot about the place and Spanish men. I'm a water person and I also like sun...so any place that has these two things is simply perfect for me," Gupta said.

Picturesque Switzerland has been an ideal romantic getaway and designer Charu Parashar says, "I feel I am in other world as the place is so serene and calm."

Ritu Kumar, known for her ethnic Indian designs, finds the capital's heat unbearable.

"Delhi is getting hotter day by day. I have always been in love with mountains and sea, so I can go to any place that has either mountains or sea," said Kumar.

There are some who prefer to stay back in India and visit places like Srinagar, Jaipur during holidays.

Rahul of label Sirali loves to be in his home town Jaipur because of its "warm" people and exotic food. "Jaipur is the city one should not miss because people there are so down-to-earth and value relationships, a thing which is missing in metropolitan areas.

"People will accept you the way you are. You do not have to pretend. So what matters to me is the people and not the place," Rahul said.

Model Laxmi Rana enjoys going to Kashmir and says she can't afford to miss its beauty. "I love Srinagar, especially the drive between Srinagar and Kargil is so amazing that you can't even afford to wink. I am in love with the place," she said.

A nice getaway has a different meaning for designer Leena Singh of Ashima-Leena duo, as she prefers to get close to her spiritual side when she takes a break.

"For me the best place on this earth is the ashram of my guruji where I mediate as that is the only place where I can be myself and learn to get close to the almighty," Leena explained

Our brain detects happiness faster

The finding springs from the efforts of an international team of Spanish and Brazilian researchers who studied how people process emotional expressions, looking at the pattern of cerebral asymmetry in the perception of positive and negative facial signals.

The research team worked with 80 psychology students-65 women and 15 men-to analyse the differences between their cerebral hemispheres using the "divided visual field" technique, which is based on the anatomical properties of the visual system.

"What is new about this study is that working in this way ensures that the information is focused on one cerebral hemisphere or the other," J. Antonio Aznar-Casanova, one of the authors of the study and a researcher at the University of Barcelona (UB), tells SINC.

Appearing in the journal Laterality, the findings suggest that the right hemisphere performs better in processing emotions.

"However, this advantage appears to be more evident when it comes to processing happy and surprised faces than sad or frightened ones," the researcher points out.

"Positive expressions, or expressions of approach, are perceived more quickly and more precisely than negative, or withdrawal, ones. So happiness and surprise are processed faster than sadness and fear," says Aznar-Casanova.

Previous studies have already shown that asymmetries in the way the brain process emotions.
Two theories are currently "competing" to explain the pattern of cerebral asymmetry in processing emotions.

The older one postulates the dominance of the right hemisphere in the processing of emotions, while the second is based on the approach-withdrawal hypothesis, which holds that the pattern of cerebral asymmetry depends upon the emotion in question, in other words that each hemisphere is better at processing particular emotions.

"Today there is scientific evidence in favour of both these theories, but there is a certain consensus in favour of the lateralisation of emotional processing predicted by the approach-withdrawal hypothesis," concludes Aznar-Casanova.

Twitter can raise publicity legal issues

Citing the examples of Peyton Manning and La Russa incidents, Faber said Indianapolis Colts issued a statement on www.Colts.com that a Twitter user posing as Peyton Manning was not the ‘real’ Peyton.

Similarly, Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa filed a lawsuit against Twitter for unauthorized and offensive content that was posted in his name.

The lawsuit filed by La Russa’s claims that an unauthorized page that used La Russa’s name to make light of drunken driving and two Cardinals pitchers who died, damaged La Russa’s reputation and caused emotional distress.

It also claimed that someone created a false account in La Russa’s name and posted “tweets” that appear to have come from La Russa.

“In addition to other potential legal issues like fraud and defamation, such activity also could drive attention and traffic to the fake site, creating various possible benefits to the impostor,” said Faber.

“Historically, user-driven websites have enjoyed a certain safe-harbour when users post content that violates some law.

“But it is conceivable that certain sites are so susceptible to abuse that those safe-harbours might be reduced, and an affirmative duty to regulate content and prevent infringements would apply,” Faber added.

Gossiping is good for women's health!

According to scientists at the University of Michigan who carried out the study on 160 women, woman is happier and healthier if she loves a good natter with her girlfriends.

Experts claim it boosts levels of progesterone, a hormone shown to reduce levels of anxiety and stress.

The study’s researchers said progesterone, which is produced by women’s ovaries, plays an important part in social bonding, reports The Daily Express.

“Many of the hormones involved in bonding lead to reduction in stress and anxiety,” said research leader Professor Stephanie Brown.

The research is published in the journal Hormones and Behaviour.