Category Archives: fashion

Fashion Designer Vivienne Tam’s HP Laptop

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World-renowned fashion designer Vivienne Tam and HP are rocking the technology and fashion world. Today, they announced the two are working together to create a special edition laptop notebook positioned to become the ultimate tech accessory for fashionistas around the globe.

Vivienne Tam and HP unveiled the design of the new must-have digital clutch on the catwalk today at Tam’s fashion show during New York’s Fashion Week at Bryant Park. The HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition notebook represents the first time a computer company has partnered with a globally renowned designer to create a notebook PC that offers all the style and power needed for a delightful technology experience.

The top of the notebook is gleaming red and bursting with peony flowers. The peony design is meticulously carried inside the notebook, under the keypad. The notebook also features a complementary embroidered storage sleeve that helps keep the exterior protected while being carried as a clutch. Tam personally designed the finishing touches, including an elegant embroidered HP Vivienne Tam sleeve that will ship with the notebook to help keep the exterior protected.

Here’s a shot of the laptop’s “enter” key complete with a double happiness logo.

The peony design features a unique blend of Asian and Western cultures, antiquity and modern style, technology and fashion. It was inspired by Tam’s “China Chic” style, which is recognized from the runways in Milan to the Olympics in Beijing and represents her personal mantra to live well and be beautiful.

“When I was approached by HP to create a special edition notebook, I could see the design in my head instantly,” said Tam. “The notebook is a true reflection of the needs of a modern woman who cares about fashion but is also passionate about her technology. I wanted to create a notebook that would appeal to women of all ages, ethnicities and income levels across the globe.”

“The peony is the national flower of China. They are beautiful and symbolize prosperity, good fortune and happiness,” said Tam. “Their many layers are similar to a modern woman who is as savvy in expressing herself with her personal style as she is with weaving technology into the fabric of her rich and multi-faceted life.”

“With ‘China Chic,’ Vivienne Tam reinterpreted traditional Chinese art into a global fashion trend,” said Satjiv Chahil, senior vice president, Worldwide Marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP. “With her spring collection, Tam has helped HP take the personal computer from a necessity to a lifestyle and fashion ‘must have.’”

The HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition notebook is expected to be available early next year. Available January 2009 in North America, with worldwide rollout to follow. UPDATE: Buy the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition

If you can’t wait til next year, you can take a spin at the “Tech chic” virtual experience. In addition to working with Tam on the new notebook design and accessories, HP today launched a fully integrated virtual experience to help fashionistas around the globe find design inspiration online. HP has created a virtual catwalk, a designer tour hosted by Tam, and a “design bot” gadget inspiring users to dress up their computers with Tam-designed wallpaper, screensaver and icons – all of which are available now in the United States and in early October worldwide. You can take a look at the Vivienne Tam Virtual Catwalk.

Runway highlights from Vivienne Tam at Fashion Week New York, Spring 2009.

Full Runway video from Vivienne Tam at Fashion Week New York, Spring 2009

About Vivienne Tam

Vivienne Tam is a leading designer fashion house founded in 1994. The company produces, designs and markets women’s contemporary apparel distributed in major department stores, specialty stores and independent boutiques throughout the U.S. The company also has a strong presence in the Asia Pacific region with over 30 freestanding stores and in-store boutiques.

The Vivienne Tam brand’s unique positioning – designs that meld the aesthetic and feminine mystique of Asia with the spirit of the modern world – is well recognized in both the U.S. and Asia. The company’s philosophy is to create harmonious clothing that enhances one’s personality while at the same time provide fashionable clothing for modern women that is beautifully designed, superior in quality, wearable, easy to travel with and affordable.

Sheena on America’s Next Top Model

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Sheena Sakai, 21, from Honolulu, Hawaii will be the only Asian American in America’s Next Top Model Cycle 11. Her current occupation is Hostess/Go-Go Dancer and resides in Harlem, New York. She got her first break in Hawaii when promoter Rick Rock hired her to be a go-go dancer for his Friday night party at Pipeline Cafe.

Sheena Sakai also goes by the stage name Sheena Satana when she is singing. She was featured on “Tha Word” from Hawaiian rapper Krystilez’s latest album “The O”

Sheena Sakai talking about America’s Next Top Model

Sheena Satana in “Tha Word” music video

Asian YouTubers Get That Look

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JC Penney created a back to school marketing campaign entitled “Get That Look”. With a theme of “The Breakfast Club” – one of pop culture’s ultimate teen movies that is currently experiencing a resurgence among today’s youth – the campaign highlights the array of lifestyle brands available at JC Penney. Created with Saatchi & Saatchi New York, the campaign features both traditional and non-traditional media components. The mainstream campaign can be found here.

What’s interesting with this campaign is that the grassroots online version of “Get That Look” has college age Asian American Youtubers as spokespeople. Among the four Asian American used include Kina Grannis (HAPA – Japanese), David Choi (Korean), Natalie (Filipino), and Kevjumba (Chinese). JC Penney fused the popularity of these YouTubers with the fashion and style of each person. Kina Grannis and David Choi created a duet entitle “my time with you”. They also each created their own music video. Natalie and Kevjumba utilize their comedy as part of the campaign. Also of note is that the whole Asian American version is run on xanga.com, a site where many teens blog.

Check out the Get That Look – Asian American edition here. You can also vote on the best outfit and could win a $400 JCPenney gift card.

What do you think of the campaign?

Natalie in the Get That Look campaign

Kevjumba in the Get That Look campaign

Jerry Tam out of Project Runway 5

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It’s one and done for designer Jerry Tam on Project Runway 5. The first challenge (same as the first task in season one), the designers had to create a dress using materials purchased from a Gristedes grocery store. The designers were given 30 minutes and $75 to shop for items, and then one day to complete the dress. After the first episode aired, the only Asian designer in this season is out.

Here’s Jerry Tam’s Bio:

Growing up in Butte, Montana, Jerry dreamed of coming to the big city and found his home in the fashion world. He’s been working in the industry for seven years. With only two years of design education, including time at both Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, he has worked with Imitation of Christ, Perry Ellis Women’s Wear, and Zac Posen. All of his work has lead him to the creation of his own label, FORM, which he launched three years ago in New York City. Inspired by intrinsic architecture, FORM uses natural fabrics for both warmth and aesthetics.

Here’s a recap of the first episode of Project Runway 5

Kimora Lee Simmons gets the kids

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Ming Lee

Aoki Lee

“The Insider” obtained court papers that show Kimora Lee Simmons, 33, has won sole custody of her two daughters – Ming, 8, and Aoki, 5. The half Japanese and half African American CEO of Baby Phat will have the legal authority to make decisions regarding her daughters’ health, education and welfare. Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, 50, gets the girls one week out of every eight and time for summer vacations & holidays.

Russell Simmons will pay Kimora Lee $20,000 per month per child. (That’s almost $500k per year for both kids!!!) The child support will be paid until each girl reaches age 19 1/2, becomes emancipated, dies, marries, becomes self-supporting, no longer lives with Kimora Lee Simmons, joins the armed forces or if the court later orders otherwise. Also he is required to purchase or lease a new car that is valued at no less than $60,000 for the use and benefit of his daughters once every 24 months.

Here’s a post by Russell Simmons on his blog entry entitled “Russell Sets The Record Straight“

You you want more Kimora Lee Simmons, you can watch her on “Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane“

Grace Park in Complex Magazine

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The Grace Park photos from Complex Magazine look very awkward. Considering the magazine is backed by Mark Ecko, we would think that it would be ….well, more stylish. Photos aside, you can read the article about Grace Park in Complex. After Battlestar Galactica ends its run, you can catch Grace park in A&E’s extreme intervention drama The Cleaner starting in July.

Watch behind the scenes footage of Grace Park’s photo shoot

Pop quiz for Grace Park about robots as she wears a I heart robots t-shirt