Style & Focus News Bites

Style and Focus PR would like to send our condolences to the families of Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes.

** Advertising: Calvin Klein and Condé Nast Strike Online Ad Deal. Condé Nast has signed an exclusive deal with fashion brand Calvin Klein to run an ad campaign for its fragrance Secret Obsession on the vogue.com website. The deal, which will run for four weeks and will kick off before the campaign breaks nationally, will see Calvin Klein sponsor VogueTV and run banner advertising across the site. Calvin Klein will also offer exclusive sampling to Vogue.com readers. (Brand Republic - Media Week Magazine)

** Entertainment: Keke Palmer to Star in New Nickelodeon Series "True Jackson, VP". Keke Palmer of the hit film "Akeelah and the Bee" will star in Nickelodeon's newest live-action series "True Jackson, VP." The network has ordered 20 episodes of the series centered around 15-year old True Jackson (Palmer) who is tapped to head the youth division of a major fashion label. True soon learns that corporate life has the same highs and lows as high school, complete with cliques, mean girls and crushes -- but with cool perks like designing for up-and-coming rock stars and casting super cute models. (Black Entertainment News)

** Beauty/Business Law: L'Oreal Loses to eBay in Counterfeit Case. L’Oreal has lost to eBay in a Belgian court after it tried to sue the online auction site for selling counterfeit goods. The Tribunal de Commerce ruled in favour of eBay, dismissing claims from the cosmetics giant that the online auction site was not doing enough to prevent the sale of counterfeit Lancôme products. L’Oreal awaits the decision of courts in the four other European nations where the case was filed. (Cosmetics Design)

** Health/Business: Thousands in California whose health policies were canceled to be offered new coverage. About 3,400 Californians whose health insurance was canceled by Kaiser, Health Net and PacifiCare after they got sick will soon receive notification that they may be eligible for new coverage and for compensation for medical bills they paid while they were uninsured. In a deal with state regulators, the insurers agreed to offer former members new coverage regardless of preexisting medical conditions and to reimburse them for medical expenses. In exchange, the state Department of Managed Health Care will close investigations into the companies' rescission practices. Regulators began mailing out notices to individuals Tuesday. (Los Angeles Times)

** Advertising: Google Shuts Down Popular U.K. Advertising Blog. The UK's most popular advertising industry blog, Scamp, has been shut down by Google for breaching the conditions of its blogging platform, Blogger. Scamp, written by Bartle Bogle Hegarty creative director Simon Veksner, is hugely popular in the UK ad industry, often drawing hundreds of comments per post from disgruntled advertising executives. (Guardian)

** Art: Economic Realities Press on Artists’ Outdoor Eden. The 25 year-old open air studios of Laddie John Dill and Ed Ruscha are being encroched upon by the rapidly reviving city of Venice, CA. The city of Los Angeles wants to tear down the fence, pave the space for a parking lot. The project has quickly emerged as a fight between the artistic values that led to the renewal of Venice and the commercial interests that are reshaping the community’s character.

“After the railroad line stopped back there, and Venice began its slow deterioration, this was a really rough part of town,” Mr. Dill said. Now, however, as the boulevard on the other side of the alley has become populated with restaurants, clothing boutiques and a Pinkberry cafe, “this whole thing is symbolic of the gentrification of Venice.”

City bulldozers are expected to begin work on the 100-space parking project soon after a ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday. That has led the owner of the warehouse leased by the two artists to begin preparing a lawsuit seeking to stop the project. (New York Times)

Style and Focus News Bites

** Environment: Johnny Depp to Invest in Solar Power Engery for Private Island. Depp is estimated to spend $500,000 on a sun-powered system for his private island home. The pioneering system will convert sunlight into electricity, providing sufficient power to run his home. Depp's environmentally friendly lifestyle recently earned him a nomination for the ultimate green celebrity. (People magazine)

** Publishing: Hachette Filipacchi Media Teams Up with ELLE DECOR and Metropolitan Home to Form the Luxury Design Group. Jack Kliger, President and CEO, of Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. (HFM U.S.), announced that the company has formed the Luxury Design Group to create a unified leadership structure which brings together the strategic sales and marketing power of two affluent and distinct brands -- ELLE DECOR and Metropolitan Home.

The Luxury Design Group will complement the global network of titles owned by HFM U.S.'s parent company Lagardere Active. This upscale network was enlarged in April 2008 with the acquisition of the Massin Group, the French leader in decoration magazines and publisher of its two flagship magazines Art & Decoration and Maison & Travaux. (Press Release)

** Entertainment: New Kids on the Block have confirmed that on their new upcoming album they will be collaborating with New Edition on a new song, tittled "Full Service" (E!)

** Entertainment: BET Networks and Marvel Animation are teaming up to produce an animated series based on the legendary superhero, "The Black Panther". Casting is already underway for the series that is slated to premiere in the first quarter of 2009. A special sneak preview will premiere at Comic-Con. The series will be adapted directly from the first six issues of the Marvel Comic written by Reginald Hudlin. (Press Release)

** Bars/Restaurants: Heath Ledger's bar, Five Leaves, to open in Brooklyn. A bar Heath Ledger invested in before he died will open as planned. The late actor's dad Kim, the executor of his estate, has released the funds for the bar. (Now magazine)

** Art/Home & Garden: Fashion designer Stella McCartney and her father Paul McCartney attended a private viewing of furniture pieces created by her husband, Alasdhair Willis' furniture company, Established & Sons held in St James' Park. (Hello magazine)

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Style and Focus News Bites

** Entertainment: Rupert Grint has signed on to do the independent film "Cherry Bomb". The movie centers on best friends Malachy (Grint) and Luke (Robert Sheehan), embarking on a wild weekend and come across a beautiful but troubled stranger (Kimberley Nixon). Production on the film, penned by playwright and screenwriter Daragh Caville has already begun and is tentatively scheduled for a 2009 release. (Digital Spy) - Entertainment

** Fashion: Christian Louboutin To Open Paris Store. The 100-square-meter Paris store located in Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, will feature a county-fair theme. Mr. Louboutin has also decorated the new space with vintage chairs and a large crayfish sculpture. In addition to shoes, the shop will sell Mr. Louboutin's line of handbags. (Wall Street Journal) - Fashion

** Business: Lil Wayne Launches Champagne Brand. Lil Wayne (whose's real name is Dwayne Carter) has teamed up with French vineyard and wine manufacturers Voirin-Jumel to produce a range of champagne - entitled Halo champagne. There will be four varieties available: Halo Brut, Halo Brut Vintage, Halo Rose and Halo Pinnacle. (Contact Music) - Business

** Fashion/Business: Steve & Barry's Seeks Financial Help. The sportswear company Steve & Barry's LLC is expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The privately held New York-based company said it is being represented by a bankruptcy frim and is in negotiations with lenders. Published reports said that the chain could liquidate about 100 of its stores bud did not specify which ones. (Detroit Free Press) - Fashion/Business

** Entertainment/Art: Jackie Chan Museum Planned in Shanghai. Construction has begun on a museum for Chan in the Chinese financial capital Shanghai. Earlier this week, Chan attended a ceremony marking the start of work. The museum will display props and costumes from Chan's movies, photos and other memorabilia. Construction is scheduled to finish in October 2009. (The Associated Press) - Entertainment/Art

** Advertising: McDonald's Hatches New Billboard. A Chicago McDonald has unveiled it newest billboard a 21 feet egg. The billboard is adjacent to the McDonald's restaurant at Clark and Addison which is in the shadow of Wrigley Field. It's been ingeniously designed by ad agency Leo Burnett - Chicago, to crack open to promote McDonald's fresh eggs for breakfast. It includes a timer that starts opening around 6 a.m. each day then the egg closes up around 10:30 a.m. The egg-travangza in Wrigleyville also will open for each Chicago Cubs home game through at least mid-August. (Chicago Sun-Times) - Advertising


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** Accessories/Cause: Russell Simmons Launches The Green Initiative Bracelet. The bracelet will be exclusivly sold at selected H.Samuel stores in the UK and from hsamuel.co.uk. The Simmons Jewelry Co. are proud to introduce an exquisite collection of premium quality malachite and raw diamond unisex bracelets in aid of the Diamond Empowerment Fund. The design of the bracelet is symbolic of the African continent with the green malachite a symbol for the care of the planet, natural and human resources. The Green Initiative bracelet is available in two unisex sizes and is priced at £125. There will be a donation of $20 ($US) to the Diamond Empowerment Fund from the sale of each piece.

The Diamond Empowerment Fund(DEF) which was founded in 2007, is a non-profit international organization that was established to work towards the empowerment of Africa. The fund’s mission is to raise money and support education initiatives that develop and empower people in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource. (Press Release) - Accessories/Cause

** Entertainment: DJ AM (real name Adam Goldstein) has sued the New York Daily News for libel and false-light invasion of privacy, alleging that a June 22 article published online and in print about his lack of earning prowess since he and former fiance Nicole Richie split is false. His lawsuit states that his career is not in financial trouble. (E!) - Entertainment

Style and Focus News Bites

** Beauty: Leading Cosmetic Firms Fined for Exchanging Information. The German units of nine international cosmetics and fragrance firms have been fined a total of almost €10 million for exchanging information about sales, planned product launches and price rises which violates anti-trust laws. According to the German Federal Cartel Office, the following companies were implicated: Chanel, Clarins, Cosmopolitan Cosmetics (now P&G prestige products), Coty Prestige Lancaster, Estée Lauder, L'Oréal, LVMH Parfums and Cosmetics, Shiseido and YSL Beauté. In addition thirteen former managers of these companies are to be fined by the office.

The Cartel Office said the companies have been meeting four times a year to discuss figures, recent advertising costs and planned price increases since 1995. The companies are being fined between €250,000 and €2.1m, however they can appeal at the higher regional court in Dusseldorf. (Cosmetic Design) - Beauty

** Entertainment: Courteney Cox to Join 'Scrubs'. According to Entertainment Weekly, Cox will become the new Chief of Medicine and her character will "ruffle feathers". Cox signed up to appear in three episodes. - Entertainment

** Business/Health: Salmonella Scare Hurts Calif. Tomato Growers. The Food and Drug Administration announced that the salmonella outbreak has sickened more than 1,000 people — making it the worst food outbreak in years. Even thought the FDA never suspected California tomatoes, the salmonella scare has clearly hurt California growers, who are just starting to harvest their tomatoes.

Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers, a cooperative association of farms in California and Arizona, says that when the FDA issues consumer warnings before it has a good handle on the possible culprit, the economic devastation goes beyond farmers. Whose affected are "the people who pick in the field, the workers who grow it, the people who harvest it, the packing shed workers, which affects the truckers." (NPR) - Business/Health

** Fashion: My Vintage Baby Premieres Maternity Wear for Spring 2009. The new line of maternity tops will complement the My Vintage Baby’s children’s collection. This will be the Company’s first venture beyond the unique and nostalgic children’s apparel and accessories it's known for. For more information regarding My Vintage Baby please visit: www.myvintagebaby.com. (Press Release) - Fashion

** Fashion: Leonardo DiCaprio Partners with Jaeger-LeCoultre. The luxury company has collaborated with the charitable actor to create the Time to Care program, as well as develop two watches that will benefit the Leonardo DiCaprio Fund at the California Community Foundation. The timepieces will debut this fall, and all proceeds from the sales will directly benefit the cause. (Fashion Week Daily) - Fashion

** Business: Jennifer Lopez Closes Her Restaurant. According to Us magazine, Lopez has closed her buzzed about restaurant Madre's which is located in Pasadena, CA. The Latin inspired restaurant opened a little over six years ago. The restaurant's name was selected by then Gigli co-star Ben Affleck. No additional information given. - Business

With Money Tight, How are Women Saving Money and Still Look Amazing?

With the economy not as stong as it once was, I decided to go into research mode to find out how women are saving money and are still looking amazing. They don't want to sacrifice their appearance even though their budget has taken a fall. I wanted to know what they were looking for beauty, fashion, and entertainment wise. So, what are some stylish but frugal women doing?

From my research:

* Many women are purchasing multi-purpose clothes that they can wear to work, on a date, etc. They want clothes that can work for more than one occasion. They want clothes that are durable, fashionable and affordable.

* Women are also choosing muliti-purpose makeup and beauty products that they can get more use out of. They want products that are time saving and portable, that will be useful in getting them out the door in the morning more quickly.

* Despite what's being promoted in the magazines some women are forgoing designer clothes and handbags and instead opting for affordable yet equally high quality clothes that will fit their new budgets. However, if they do choose to buy designer pieces they are purchasing from the sale or clearance racks instead. Many asked why don't their favorite magazines show more affordable options in between the inspirational designer pieces.

* Some women are choosing to forgo a few non-essential luxuries to keep at least one or two little luxuries like forgoing their daily lattes/coffees for professional manicures and pedicures.

* As for hair care products, there doesn't seem to be too much cutting back there but some are looking for more effective hair products that do what they claim they are suppose to do. However, they are limiting the number of blowouts and other professional services they are getting but are looking for products that will help extend the life of their professionally styled hair.

* Lastly, they are looking for more affordable ways to entertain and have fun, for instance going out to nightclubs and out to dinner can be fun but are quite expensive. Many women are looking for more ways to stretch their entertainment budget and still have a good time without sitting at home on a Saturday night. They are choosing some affordable but fun options such as: going to bars, pubs and diners for cocktails and meals, hosting or attending dinner parties, karaoke bars, taking turns hosting fabulous cocktail parties with their friends, etc.