MARC JACOBS WINS TOP PRIZE
Evening generously underwritten by Swarovski
Awards held at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
New York, NY, June 8, 2010 – Last night, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) paid tribute to the winners and honorees of the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. The top honors went to Marc Jacobs for Womenswear Designer of the Year, presented by Jessica Biel. The award for Menswear Designer of the Year was presented by Anthony Mackie to David Neville & Marcus Wainwright for Rag & Bone. Alexis Bittar took home the Accessory Designer of the Year Award, presented by Dakota Fanning. For the ninth year in a row, the evening was generously underwritten by Swarovski.
Alexa Chung and Ed Westwick presented all three Swarovski Awards which honor and recognize emerging talent. The Swarovski Award for Womenswear was given to Jason Wu. The Swarovski Award for Menswear was presented to Richard Chai. The Swarovski Award for Accessory Design went to Alexander Wang. Recipients in each category will receive generous financial support from the company as well as exposure to the company’s vast and innovative crystal products and applications for fashion.
The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Michael Kors by Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of Vogue.
The late Alexander McQueen was honored with the Board of Directors’ Special Tribute Award by Sarah Jessica Parker for his indelible contribution to international fashion. A live presentation of his final sixteen looks were shown on models who appeared on a custom-built stage by Tony-Award winning set designer Scott Pask. This presentation was the first time the collection has been seen in its entirety since its original presentation in Paris in March 2010. The set featured the “Schonbek® Olde World Chandelier;” a glass-arm chandelier with the most number of Swarovski crystal pendants in the world due to its special design and patented methods.
Christopher Bailey for Burberry was recognized with this year’s International Award presented by Donna Karan. The Eleanor Lambert Award was presented to Vogue Fashion Director Tonne Goodman by Caroline Kennedy. Paper magazine’s founding Editor & Publisher Kim Hastreiter was honored with the Eugenia Sheppard Award for excellence in journalism, presented by Brooke Shields. Iman was presented with the Fashion Icon Award by Isabella Rossellini.
As part of the CFDA’s commitment to design education, the Geoffrey Beene Design Scholarship winner Carmen Chen Wu, the Liz Claiborne Fashion Scholarship winner Jusil Carroll, and the CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship winner Nicole Goh were acknowledged from the stage by CFDA executive director Steven Kolb.
This year also marked the second annual Popular Vote Award sponsored by L’Oréal Paris. Through a website hosted by wwd.com, the public was given the opportunity to vote for its favorite fashion designer. An overwhelming number of votes were cast. L’Oréal Paris Spokesperson and CFDA Health Initiative representative Doutzen Kroes announced the winner of this year’s Popular Vote Award as Ralph Lauren.
CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg told the sold-out theater “Tonight is the night we designers and members of the industry salute our peers and celebrate their talents. We are a family.” She then went on to speak about the organization’s accomplishments over the past year, including raising $1 million for the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, launching the CFDA Fashion Incubator, working with the Design Trust on the Garment District, lobbying for copyright protection through the establishment of the Fashion Law Institute, and the continued growth of services for CFDA’s 350 members.
Source: http://www.cfda.com/category/news/
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Female banker files a lawsuit against Citigroup after she was 'fired for being too attractive'
By Mail Foreign Service
A 33-year-old single mother has filed a lawsuit against Citigroup, after Citibank allegedly fired her for being too attractive.
Debrahlee Lorenzana claims that she was let go from the New York branch of the bank after being told that her choice of clothes made her 'too distracting' in the largely male-dominated office.
Ms Lorenzana's lawsuit alleges that her bosses told her 'as a result of the shape of her figure, such clothes were purportedly 'too distracting' for her male colleagues and supervisors to bear'.
The Puerto Rican banker says she was given a list of clothes she would no longer be able to wear - including pencil skirts, fitted suits and polo necks.
But Ms Lorenzana told New York newspaper The Village Voice it is her right to dress as she wishes, as long as it is a professionally-appropriate outfit.
She said: 'I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I said, "You gotta be kidding me! I was like, Too distracting? For who? For you? My clients don't seem to have any problem."
'Where I'm from, women dress up - like put on makeup and do their nails - to go to the supermarket..
'I was raised very Latin. We're feminine. A woman in Puerto Rico takes care of herself.'
Ms Lorenzana's lawyer Jack Tuckner said he believes the case is self-explanatory.
He explained: 'It's like saying that we can't think anymore because our penises are standing up - and we cannot think about you except in a sexual manner - and we can't look at you without wanting to have sexual intercourse with you.
'And it's up to you, gorgeous woman, to lessen your appeal so that we can focus!'
As well as some 'conservative' photos taken by Mr Tuckner, Ms Lorezana's lawsuit includes evidence of a meeting when she was told by her two managers that her trousers were too tight, and photos of other employees dressed in provocative clothes.
She added: 'I could have worn a paper bag, and it would not have mattered. If it wasn't my shirt, it was my pants.
'If it wasn't my pants, it was my shoes. They picked on me every single day.'
The fitted clothes and flattering suits favoured by Ms Lorenzana have made a comeback recently thanks to hit U.S. TV show Mad Men.
But, judging from this lawsuit, women such as Christina Hendricks' character Joan Holloway would cause a bit of a stir in today's society.
However, because Ms Lorenzana was required to sign a mandatory-arbitration clause before she began her job at Citibank, the case will never end up in front of a jury or a judge.
An arbirtrator will decide the result of the lawsuit.
A statement from Citigroup read: 'We believe this lawsuit is without merit and we will defend against it vigorously.
'We respect the privacy of all of our employees and therefore cannot comment more specifically on this litigation, this former employee's overall performance, or the reasons for her termination - which an arbitration panel must resolve.
'Citi is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and providing a respectful environment in the workplace. We have a strong commitment to diversity and we do not condone, or tolerate, discrimination within our business for any reason.'
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
Home and car sales lift US stocks
US stocks have risen strongly after a big increase in pending home sales and demand for cars lifted investor confidence in the US economy.
Pending home sales - deals agreed but not yet completed - rose 6% in April, said the main estate agent group, the National Association of Realtors.
Meanwhile, overall new car sales in the US were 19% higher in May than the same month last year.
Wall Street's main Dow Jones index ended Wednesday trading up 2.3%.
The index had closed on Tuesday down 1.1% after the announcement of a criminal investigation into UK oil firm BP hit the shares of US oil companies.
Although the level of April's pending home sales was helped by buyers wishing to conclude deals ahead of a tax change, the 6% increase was higher than the 4.3% rise expected by analysts.
Across the car industry, US sales at Ford were up 22% last month, while General Motors' added 17%.
However, Toyota's sales only rose 7% as it ended special offers introduced in March to woo customers who may have otherwise been put off by its mass car safety recalls.
"A positive housing report and better-than-expected auto sales are giving the stock market a lift," said Wells Fargo senior equity market strategist Scott Marcouille.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Pending home sales - deals agreed but not yet completed - rose 6% in April, said the main estate agent group, the National Association of Realtors.
Meanwhile, overall new car sales in the US were 19% higher in May than the same month last year.
Wall Street's main Dow Jones index ended Wednesday trading up 2.3%.
The index had closed on Tuesday down 1.1% after the announcement of a criminal investigation into UK oil firm BP hit the shares of US oil companies.
Although the level of April's pending home sales was helped by buyers wishing to conclude deals ahead of a tax change, the 6% increase was higher than the 4.3% rise expected by analysts.
Across the car industry, US sales at Ford were up 22% last month, while General Motors' added 17%.
However, Toyota's sales only rose 7% as it ended special offers introduced in March to woo customers who may have otherwise been put off by its mass car safety recalls.
"A positive housing report and better-than-expected auto sales are giving the stock market a lift," said Wells Fargo senior equity market strategist Scott Marcouille.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Brewin Dolphin slams proposed CGT rise
by Richard Kilner
Investment manager Brewin Dolphin has raised serious concerns over the Coalition Government’s proposals to raise Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in the June Emergency Budget.
Brewin Dolphin has expressed the view that by raising CGT the Government will erode the grounds upon which investors risk their capital supporting businesses, and warned that it will seriously discourage investment as the move will dramatically alter the risk/reward ratio.
The firm urges those who will be affected to seek advice sooner rather than later, as the proposed change is likely to come into effect in April 2011.
Brewin Dolphin suggest rebalancing assets between husbands and wives to take advantage of the £10,100 CGT allowance, contemplate offshore bonds and ‘re-basing’ portfolios now to gain a higher book cost, even though it may involve the paying the present 18% tax rate.
The firm has also stated it is possible that more will be paid at 18% in CGT this year than next year, at a higher rate, because the tax is voluntary, and will simply be avoided when the rate increases.
Brewin Dolphin has urged the Government to stop its proposed increase of CGT, and described the forthcoming change to tax policy as alarming.
Source: http://www.bankingtimes.co.uk/
Investment manager Brewin Dolphin has raised serious concerns over the Coalition Government’s proposals to raise Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in the June Emergency Budget.
Brewin Dolphin has expressed the view that by raising CGT the Government will erode the grounds upon which investors risk their capital supporting businesses, and warned that it will seriously discourage investment as the move will dramatically alter the risk/reward ratio.
The firm urges those who will be affected to seek advice sooner rather than later, as the proposed change is likely to come into effect in April 2011.
Brewin Dolphin suggest rebalancing assets between husbands and wives to take advantage of the £10,100 CGT allowance, contemplate offshore bonds and ‘re-basing’ portfolios now to gain a higher book cost, even though it may involve the paying the present 18% tax rate.
The firm has also stated it is possible that more will be paid at 18% in CGT this year than next year, at a higher rate, because the tax is voluntary, and will simply be avoided when the rate increases.
Brewin Dolphin has urged the Government to stop its proposed increase of CGT, and described the forthcoming change to tax policy as alarming.
Source: http://www.bankingtimes.co.uk/
Wells Fargo, Visa Launch Rapid Alerts For Credit Cardholders
Wells Fargo and Visa have launched the rapid alerts for Wells Fargo Visa credit cardholders. The service allows consumers to manage and track their spending while providing them with real-time detection of potentially fraudulent activity.
Rapid alerts by Wells Fargo are enabled by Visa's transaction alerts platform. Alerts are sent on behalf of Wells Fargo directly from VisaNet, Visa's global processing network, following the transaction.
The messages contain the amount, time and date of the transaction, as well as currency conversion and information relating to the merchant, such as name and location. Customers also will be alerted to Wells Fargo Visa credit card payments that are declined, which may also help remind customers of recurring payments that they forgot to update due to a reissued, lost or stolen card.
Peter Ho, product manager for card services and consumer lending at Wells Fargo, said: "We believe rapid alerts will give customers added peace of mind that they will be notified almost immediately when transactions occur. We piloted rapid alerts in 2009 and received an overwhelming positive response from participants who said text alerts were an invaluable tool for monitoring their accounts. In addition to the alerts, customer can rest assured that their cards are also protected by our WellsProtect program."
Jim McCarthy, global head of product at Visa, said: "Visa is empowering cardholders to take an active role in managing and protecting their Visa accounts. Visa's ability to analyze transactions 'in-flight' enables us to provide our cardholders with near real-time transaction alerts. Participating Visa cardholders can typically receive alerts before they walk out of the store, rather than hours or even days later."
Source: http://cards.banking-business-review.com/news/wells_fargo_visa_launch_rapid_alerts_for_credit_cardholders_100520/
Rapid alerts by Wells Fargo are enabled by Visa's transaction alerts platform. Alerts are sent on behalf of Wells Fargo directly from VisaNet, Visa's global processing network, following the transaction.
The messages contain the amount, time and date of the transaction, as well as currency conversion and information relating to the merchant, such as name and location. Customers also will be alerted to Wells Fargo Visa credit card payments that are declined, which may also help remind customers of recurring payments that they forgot to update due to a reissued, lost or stolen card.
Peter Ho, product manager for card services and consumer lending at Wells Fargo, said: "We believe rapid alerts will give customers added peace of mind that they will be notified almost immediately when transactions occur. We piloted rapid alerts in 2009 and received an overwhelming positive response from participants who said text alerts were an invaluable tool for monitoring their accounts. In addition to the alerts, customer can rest assured that their cards are also protected by our WellsProtect program."
Jim McCarthy, global head of product at Visa, said: "Visa is empowering cardholders to take an active role in managing and protecting their Visa accounts. Visa's ability to analyze transactions 'in-flight' enables us to provide our cardholders with near real-time transaction alerts. Participating Visa cardholders can typically receive alerts before they walk out of the store, rather than hours or even days later."
Source: http://cards.banking-business-review.com/news/wells_fargo_visa_launch_rapid_alerts_for_credit_cardholders_100520/
ElectraCard Services Joins MasterCard Partners in Prepaid Program
ElectraCard Services (ECS), a provider of software solutions for electronic payment systems, has collaborated with MasterCard for its Partners in Prepaid Program. The Partners in Prepaid Program brings together local processors and program managers with expertise in executing prepaid programs in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa for MasterCard customers.
As part of this program, adhering to MasterCard standards of program design, implementation and ongoing management, ECS will provide customized prepaid services through its electraPREPAID platform to issuers across regions.
According to ECS, electraPREPAID is a prepaid card solution that is designed ground up for multi-institution, multi country, multi-lingual, multi-currency environments. It manages and supports various flavors of prepaid cards such as payroll cards, gift cards, travel cards, and supports end-to-end requirements of the prepaid card issuer including program management, agent management, card production, registration, fee management, authorization, transaction processing, account funding, dispute management, agent services, customer care and cardholder self care.
Robert Walls, senior business leader for debit and prepaid product management for Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa at MasterCard, said: “With prepaid programs growing in popularity in the region, we at MasterCard consider it critical that our customers have trusted partners offering best-in-class processing solutions and ongoing operational support.”
Ramesh Mengawade, CEO of ElectraCard Services, said: “We are proud to be providing end-to-end support to MasterCard for their first ever partners in prepaid program. With relevant expertise and a distinguished product, we will create the right platform for issuers to tap the growth potential of the prepaid segment.”
Source: http://cards.banking-business-review.com/news/electracard_services_joins_mastercard_partners_in_prepaid_program_100527/
As part of this program, adhering to MasterCard standards of program design, implementation and ongoing management, ECS will provide customized prepaid services through its electraPREPAID platform to issuers across regions.
According to ECS, electraPREPAID is a prepaid card solution that is designed ground up for multi-institution, multi country, multi-lingual, multi-currency environments. It manages and supports various flavors of prepaid cards such as payroll cards, gift cards, travel cards, and supports end-to-end requirements of the prepaid card issuer including program management, agent management, card production, registration, fee management, authorization, transaction processing, account funding, dispute management, agent services, customer care and cardholder self care.
Robert Walls, senior business leader for debit and prepaid product management for Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa at MasterCard, said: “With prepaid programs growing in popularity in the region, we at MasterCard consider it critical that our customers have trusted partners offering best-in-class processing solutions and ongoing operational support.”
Ramesh Mengawade, CEO of ElectraCard Services, said: “We are proud to be providing end-to-end support to MasterCard for their first ever partners in prepaid program. With relevant expertise and a distinguished product, we will create the right platform for issuers to tap the growth potential of the prepaid segment.”
Source: http://cards.banking-business-review.com/news/electracard_services_joins_mastercard_partners_in_prepaid_program_100527/
American Express, Concur Launch Online Expense Reporting Service Concur Breeze
American Express and Concur Technologies, a US-based provider of on-demand employee spend management services, have launched Concur Breeze, an online expense reporting service for American Express Commercial Card mid-market clients.
American Express and Concur Technologies said that Concur Breeze automates and streamlines the submission, review and approval of all business expenses, including T&E, office supplies, advertising, shipping, telecommunications and more.
According to American Express, Concur Breeze is quick and easy to set up. It streamlines the entire expense management process by automatically creating expense reports using electronic data imported from American Express commercial card products.
By automating the entire process and eliminating the need for paper receipts, spreadsheets, and lengthy reimbursement cycles, Concur Breeze can reduce the cost, time and hassle associated with expense reporting - simplifying bookkeeping and helping companies better track costs and manage cash.
Elena Donio, executive vice president and general manager fro emerging business for Concur, said: "Concur Breeze is designed to address the unique needs of mid-market companies looking to streamline their operations and improve efficiency with an automated expense reporting process.”
Sara Tresch, vice president of business development for global commercial card for American Express, said: “Concur Breeze brings ‘software as a service' functionality for automated expense management into the middle market at an attractive price point. This extension of our partnership with Concur allows us to provide unique value to our joint customers and ultimately deliver savings and efficiencies to employees and their companies.”
Source: http://cards.banking-business-review.com/news/american_express_concur_launch_online_expense_reporting_service_concur_breeze_100603/
American Express and Concur Technologies said that Concur Breeze automates and streamlines the submission, review and approval of all business expenses, including T&E, office supplies, advertising, shipping, telecommunications and more.
According to American Express, Concur Breeze is quick and easy to set up. It streamlines the entire expense management process by automatically creating expense reports using electronic data imported from American Express commercial card products.
By automating the entire process and eliminating the need for paper receipts, spreadsheets, and lengthy reimbursement cycles, Concur Breeze can reduce the cost, time and hassle associated with expense reporting - simplifying bookkeeping and helping companies better track costs and manage cash.
Elena Donio, executive vice president and general manager fro emerging business for Concur, said: "Concur Breeze is designed to address the unique needs of mid-market companies looking to streamline their operations and improve efficiency with an automated expense reporting process.”
Sara Tresch, vice president of business development for global commercial card for American Express, said: “Concur Breeze brings ‘software as a service' functionality for automated expense management into the middle market at an attractive price point. This extension of our partnership with Concur allows us to provide unique value to our joint customers and ultimately deliver savings and efficiencies to employees and their companies.”
Source: http://cards.banking-business-review.com/news/american_express_concur_launch_online_expense_reporting_service_concur_breeze_100603/
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