Hello! showcases the glamorous face of Pakistan
Louis Vuitton Totem Sneaker Damier Canvas in Graphite Hello! magazine has arrived in Pakistan, on a mission to celebrate the country's glamorous side - one that is missing all too often in international news coverage - and to help develop a home-grown celebrity culture.A clink of jewellery, a tinkle of glass, a hushed audience and a lit-up runway - and Hello! Pakistan is launched in Karachi, with an extravagant four-day fashion show. Publishers hope the magazine, which will hit news stands in mid-April, will - by showcasing gloss and glamour - dispel some of the gloomier images foreigners associate with Pakistan."We will highlight the fashionable and the athletic, the intellectual and the aesthetic," says Zahraa Saifullah. Pakistan already has a number of local publications whose glossy pages are devoted to showcasing the weekend engagements of the Pakistani elite. But the team at Hello! Pakistan - the country's first international franchise of this kind - says that their approach will be different."The aim is to move beyond the 'typical 10'," says Wajahat Khan, the consulting editor at the magazine. "We want the 11th man, the 12th girl, the 13th crossdresser." "We have a thriving television industry, an emerging literary scene - and we have a very strong art scene," adds editor-in-chief Mahvesh Amin. "We're going to tap into all of these as well as others - politicians, businessmen, sports figures - and cover them as personalities."In the US and the UK, she says, the mere sight of a celebrity walking down a street - say, Angelina Jolie - can classify as news. In Pakistan, this isn't really the case.
Louis Vuitton Cosmos Sneaker Canvas in Khaki Luxury"So we've decided that our coverage will be more achievement-oriented," she says. "People who are doing good things, have done great things. This way, we'll create celebrities." Saifullah, who says she grew up watching her mother and grandmother flipping through the pages of international Hello!, says it took her two years to coax the the international franchise into Pakistan.Initially, the management was "reluctant to enter a market that is not really perceived as a prime investment opportunity," she says. It's true, the market for an English-language print publication is limited in a country with low literacy rates even in Urdu.According to consulting editor Wajahat S Khan, the circulation figures of such magazines is only between 12,000 to 15,000 issues. Moreover, Hello! Pakistan, which will be published once a month, will be priced at 500 Pakistani rupees ($5.50, ￡3.50), no small amount by the country's standards.Saifullah does not reveal any figures but has full faith that her publication will do well. "We've done our research," she says. "I can say with complete conviction that we will break the numbers of all English-language publications in the country."In freelance fashion writer Moiz Kazmi's opinion, two types of people will read the magazine. "Firstly, people will buy the magazine if they - or people that they know - have been featured in its pages," he says. "Secondly, there are those who look at who's-wearing-what in the magazine, then take it to their local tailors to get the clothes copied for themselves." There are some critics out there though.
Louis Vuitton Cosmos Sneaker Canvas in Marine NeatsMunawar Bawany, member of a local branch of Tanzeem-i-Islami, a Lahore-based religious organisation that aims to inculcate Islamic mores and values within society, says he would not read the magazine - and would discourage his children from "bringing it into the house". "Such magazines promote and perpetuate ideologies that aren't inherently Islamic, that aren't part of our culture," he says."I would be concerned about the effect it may have on young people."Saifullah, however, is quick to reassure that the magazine will take great pains to remain "socially responsible and culturally aware"."You will never find a picture of a topless Veena Malik plastered on our cover," she says, referring to the incident late last year when Pakistani film actress Veena Malik shocked segments of society by appearing on the cover of an Indian magazine, apparently naked and with the letters I-S-I tattooed on her arm - an impertinent allusion to Pakistan's intelligence agency. There are some further concerns. Publishing a lifestyle magazine that serves as an open advertisement of wealth could be problematic in a country like Pakistan where kidnappings - often for staggering amounts of ransom - are on the rise. A publication of this nature could also be viewed as symptomatic of a deeply-divided society - a disconnected elite, firmly ensconced in its own ivory tower, versus the impoverished masses. Indeed, as models sashayed down the runway over the course of the four-day fashion showcase at Karachi's upscale DHA Golf and Country Club, on the far side of the town, bullets were fired and buses torched as the city's law and order situation took a turn for the worse. But there is nothing wrong, says Saifullah, in portraying a more buoyant image of the country."It's about time we began moving away from all this negativity that we dwell in and that we seem to thrive on," she says.
Louis Vuitton Globe Trotter Sneaker Embossed Leather in "There are so many positive things taking place in Pakistan that remain unspoken." Administrators appointed to Houston FashionsAdministrators have been appointed to a Northern Ireland fashion retail chain which employs 68 people.Houston Fashions was established more than 50 years ago as an independent clothing retailer.It operates four stores in Ballymena, Armagh, Enniskillen and Lurgan, and a further two outlets in the Republic of Ireland.The Ballymena store is to close immediately, resulting in 10 redundancies.PwC were appointed as joint admininstrators on Wednesday, at the request of the directors of Houston Fashions.The company is also active in the commercial and residential property sector.In addition to Houston Fashions, the Houston companies collectively employ over 125 people with a further 125 in concession departments.Company Director John Houston said they were "disappointed" but added that the last few years had been "a challenging time for retail, residential and commercial property in Ireland".Mr Houston said: "By working closely with the administrators and lenders during this group restructuring, we are pleased that the overwhelming majority of the 250 jobs will be saved."Joint administrator Stephen Cave said the company's financial performance had deteriorated due to a "combination of reduced retail demand and pressures in the commercial and residential property sector"."Following discussions with the company's lender and key stakeholders, we have agreed a strategy that will permit most of the stores to continue trading.
Louis Vuitton Suede Meteor Sneaker in Orange Stylish"This will safeguard the majority of the company's jobs and minimise disruption to suppliers and concession operators," Mr Cave said.Designing sportswear uniforms that need to be comfortable, fit all shapes and sizes, worn by all ages is a difficult brief. But for a country known for its visionary fashion designers and style that is exported throughout the world it seems like a lost opportunity that some of this couldn't have been opened up via a competition to encourage the very best young designers to be part of the Games. I would have loved to have seen either Christopher Bailey at Burberry or Paul Smith design these uniforms. Both designers would have successfully addressed the brief and delivered uniforms that would have been both utterly British and utterly stylish. The graphic panelling and challenging colour palette shows that the designers were trying to push for a more modern and contemporary vision for this uniform. Whilst partially successful, it also seems indicative of a lack of confidence in a more traditional colour palette of red white and blue that could have looked modern, contemporary and graphically strong. However what totally lets this uniform down is the straw trilby. The headgear, which seems more reminiscent of a hat worn for lawn bowls, looks like a last minute addition and totally out of keeping with the rest of this uniform. It feels like someone was worried that the ambassadors wouldn't be visible from a distance.
Louis Vuitton Suede Meteor Sneaker in Noir LeadWhilst the hat definitely does that, it doesn't do anything to make the wearer an ambassador for British style." As an advocate for fat acceptance she has often heard people criticise women for being too thin. Still, she warns those trying to come to terms with their own size to leave other people out of it. "If you want to push against standards, you don't do that by bashing people," she says. "You can't look at someone and tell how healthy they are. Weight and health are two separate things."With that in mind, Neda has advocated that models be screened for eating disorders, but not that they be prohibited from working based on a size and weight limit. They've also launched Proud2BeMe, an extension of a Dutch website designed as a safe space to discuss body issues and health concerns. "There are people who are naturally thin and people who are naturally heavier, and we need to accept a diversity," Ms Mysko says. "That's the goal: not to define one body type as attractive and another type as unattractive." Next says outlook for this year is cautiousNext has reported another year of record profits, but says it remains cautious about the outlook.The fashion retailer made a pre-tax profit of ￡579.5m last year, up 6.2%.In a statement, the company said the outlook for the year ahead was "very uncertain". Next said that consumers continued to be squeezed by a lack of credit and the uncertain employment prospects. It forecast that sales would rise between 1% and 4% this year.Next's chief executive, Simon Wolfson, said that given the conditions last year, the company performed well.He added: "2011 presented the retail sector with the perfect economic storm.
Louis Vuitton Damier Embossed Meteor Sneaker in Noir BrandConsumer demand was anaemic, held back by a combination of high inflation, low growth in wages and limited growth in consumer credit.""Our own input costs rose as soaring cotton prices and overseas wage inflation were passed on by our manufacturers."Changing demands Analysts agree that Next is one of the few bright spots on the UK High Street."With consumer demand still anaemic at best, many retailers are blindly slashing costs and hoping for the best. Next's triumph has been to continue to listen to its customers and respond to their changing demands," said James McGregor, director of retail consultancy Retail Remedy.In its annual statement, the company said it had invested ￡236m in its warehousing capacity and automation over the last 10 years.As a result, Next says: "Most stocked items can be cost-effectively picked, packed, sorted and ready for despatch from our warehouses within 90 minutes of an order being taken."HMRC minister David Gauke defends unpaid internshipTreasury minister David Gauke has defended his decision to advertise a six-month unpaid internship. He is in charge of HM Revenue and Customs, which recently threatened the fashion industry with prosecution if it failed to pay interns the minimum wage.Gus Baker, from campaign group Intern Aware, accused Mr Gauke of hypocrisy.But Mr Gauke, Conservative MP for South West Hertfordshire, said advertising for "a volunteer position" was "a perfectly reasonable thing to do".
Louis Vuitton Damier Embossed Meteor Sneaker in Cacao GenuineIn December, the HMRC wrote to fashion houses involved in London fashion week warning them they must pay the minimum wage - currently ￡6.08 an hour - to anyone aged aged 21 and over. Michelle Wyer, from HMRC, said at the time those not complying could face a penalty and prosecution, adding: "Non-payment of the national minimum wage is not an option."The crackdown was welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who last year vowed to outlaw unpaid internships in Westminster.'Reasonable travel expenses' Mr Gauke says he is looking for a "voluntary intern" to work in his Rickmansworth constituency office "for a minimum of 6 months".Duties include "administration, basic correspondence, diary management, fundraising, campaigning and related tasks", as well as "the opportunity to work one day a week in the Westminster office".Under salary, the advert states: "None, but reasonable travel expenses will be paid."It adds that "the successful applicant will have strong communication, IT and organisational skills and be sympathetic to the Conservative Party aims and beliefs", and the opportunity "would suit a student, recent graduate or similar". Intern Aware said it was reporting Mr Gauke to the HMRC Pay and Work Helpline for non-payment of the minimum wage.Mr Baker said: "Revenue and Customs have set up a hit squad to enforce the minimum wage for interns and yet the minister in charge is refusing to pay the people in his own office. "David Gauke... is also putting an opportunity out of the reach of the vast majority of young people who can't afford to work for free.
