Style and Focus News Bites

** Hilary Duff Joins With Michaels Stores, Inc. to Launch 'stuff by hilary duff' DIY Fashion Crafts. This is Michaels' first teen celebrity alliance. The stuff by hilary duff DIY fashion accessories and embellishments will include more than 40 fashion products inspiring customers to reinvent existing products or clothing.

Michaels will provide customers an opportunity to add their personalized style to fitted T-shirts and handbags during complimentary in-store demonstrations of stuff by hilary duff DIY fashion in all Michaels stores, nationwide and in Canada, on Sunday, August 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time. Customers can visit Michaels official website for more information and find local stores. (Press Release)

** The head of Mattel's Chinese toy manufacturer, Zhang Shuhong has committed suicide. Shuhong was at the center of a worldwide recall of 1.5 million Fisher-Price toys thought to contain potentially dangerous levels of lead.

** Harry Potter's Emma Watson has been cast as "Pauline" the starring role for a new BBC movie "Ballet Shoes" based on the popular book written by Noel Streatfeild. The book is about three orphan sisters who are determined to make a name for themselves by training for the ballet at the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. The movie is tentatively scheduled to appear on TV in December 2007.

** Stevie Wonder to Serve As Grand Marshal for the California Speedway’s Sharp AQUOS 500 to be held on September 2, 2007. For more information about the race weekend of California Speedway, please visit http://www.californiaspeedway.com. To purchase tickets, call 800.944-RACE or log on to http://www.racetickets.com. Fans are encouraged to come early to races and take advantage of all the attractions in the Opportunity, California FanZone. (Press Release)

** Kmart has created new multicultural dolls that they will be stocking in each of its 1,400 stores. Although other retailers are stocking more multicultural dolls—often in predominantly minority neighborhoods—Kmart claims it's the first mass-market retailer to have such a wide selection available in every store.

When the campaign is completed, Kmart stores will sell nearly four dozen types of multicultural dolls—a nearly fourfold increase from what's currently available. The dolls are flanked by an advertising campaign in the store's circulars and designed to appeal to Black, Hispanic and Asian parents. (Monterey Herald)

** Model and preformer, Dita Von Teese will star in Frederick's of Hollywood's Pin-Up Parade commercials for the lingerie company's holiday ad campaign. The campaign will feature vintage inspired lingerie that was worn by "glamour goddesses and dream dames" of old Hollywood.

The Pin-Up Parade marks Von Teese's first print collaboration with an American lingerie company as well as a historical landmark for Frederick's of Hollywood, which has never featured a celebrity on it's catalogue cover.