'I wasn't hot enough to be a Bond girl'

English actress Gemma Arterton has revealed that she does not think she was hot enough to be a Bond girl.

Arterton, 24, who acted in Quantum Of Solace, told GQ magazine that she thought herself to be an “average” girl.

“In comparison to many actresses I think I’m really average - when I got the Bond film there was this big hoo-ha about me not being hot enough, I have to say I agree - I don’t think I’m in that realm,” the Mirror quoted her as saying.

The actress explained however that she might have had an advantage over the actresses. “I think in a way it might have helped me along - there are some really beautiful actresses like (Bond co-star) Olga Kurylenko who find it difficult,” she said.

“It’s frustrating for her but she’s so beautiful that it’s like someone having a massive nose: you are going to take that into consideration when you’re casting her.

“Whereas I can change my look: I can look plain or I can be all dolled up,” she added.

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Kolkata fire claims six lives

Six persons were killed and 20 others injured in a devastating fire that swept through a 150-year-old multi-storeyed building housing offices and residences on upscale Park Street.
The fire broke out at 2:15 pm, but there was confusion on which floor of the six-storey building, Stephen Court, it broke out with panic gripping those trapped inside.
The toll could rise, Fire Services minister Pratim Chatterjee said.
The Stephen Court, located in the heart of the city, houses the iconic 100-year-old Flury’s confectionery house and a large music store called Music World and several other offices.
Of the six casualties, a man, identified as Sourav Barik leapt to his death, while a woman Richa Krishnan fell when she lost her grip while being evacuated by firemen with the help of a rope.

Three others - Pradip Chokhalia, Vivek Upadhyay and Bikash Agarwala - died of burns in hospital, Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen told reporters.

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Govt alerts Naxal-hit states on possible attack on rail network

The government has alerted Naxal affected states against possible Maoist attacks on railway networks in wake of the Left extremists targeting a Rajdhani express in Bihar by blasting the rail tracks.
The Home Ministry has issued the alert to West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh apprehending attacks by Naxalites on trains and railway infrastructure as any sabotage on the network can result in large scale damages, official sources said.

The Home Ministry has also requested the Railway Ministry to deploy adequate manpower to provide security to rail operations and passengers and take necessary precautionary measures.

The alert has been issued after the latest attack near Gaya, when Maoists targeted a Rajdhani express blasting the rail tracks in which the passengers had a miraculous escape after ten coaches derailed. The attack came during the 48-hour 'bandh' call given by Naxals on Monday in the state along with six others.

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What does Pakistan want from U.S. talks

Top U.S. and Pakistani diplomats meet in Washington this week to discuss a range of issues from security, Pakistan's economy, water and energy to education, foreign policy communications and agriculture. Here are some questions and answers on what Pakistan, a front-line state in the U.S. struggle against al Qaeda and religious extremism, hopes to get out of the talks:
WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR PAKISTAN?

In a word, relevance. Pakistan has a narrow window of opportunity to cement its position and capitalise on its usefulness to the United States regarding Afghanistan, India and the region as a whole.
While for years Afghanistan was dependent on Pakistan for its links to the outside world, it now is increasingly reliant on India, China and Central Asia for trade, which in turn reduces its formerly strong ties to Pakistan.
Indeed Kabul, post-Taliban rule, views Pakistan with great suspicion.
The Pakistani establishment knows the United States needs its help to create conditions favourable for the beginning of a U.S. pullout from Afghanistan next year. Pakistan still has influence with the Afghan Taliban on the one hand, and could crack down on the insurgents' use of Pakistan territory for sanctuary on the other.
But the Pakistanis fear once the United States is out of Afghanistan -- and Pakistan's utility is reduced -- the United States will cozy up to India, greenlight Afghanistan's alternate links to the outside world and leave Pakistan isolated and encircled by hostile powers.
Pakistan's challenge, then, is to leverage its current usefulness to the United States to attain long-term benefits that will last.

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IPL auction cap raised to $7 mn

Indian Premier League on Tuesday said that each team would now be allowed to keep a purse of USD seven million (about Rs 35 crore) to bid for players, up from the prevailing level of USD five million.
"This would mean USD 70 million for the 10 teams every year and USD 210 million (about Rs 1,000 crore) in three years... this will be the single largest auction in sporting world... you see even in art auctions the bids are for a few millions and that too for total ownership.
"In IPL, the amount that the teams would spend on players would be huge for having the contract for just three years," IPL Commissioner and Chairman Lalit Modi said.
After winning team Pune with a staggering bid of over Rs 1,700 crore, Sahara Group chief Subroto Roy had suggested that IPL should increase the ceiling on the cap for each team to participate in the auction.

Roy's acquisition comes in the midst of the third season of IPL, where eight teams are vying for honour in the over month-long tournament. Rendezvous World Sports bagged the Kochi team, taking the total number to 10, which Modi said would remain intact for at least seven years.
Modi said Roy has a long association with cricket India, "he understands the game and his bid, though slightly higher than what he anticipated, proved that IPL has the value."
The enhanced cap for auctioning would be for three years from IPL season-IV beginning next year, he said, adding that details of the increased ceiling as also the auction programme would be announced shortly after the ongoing tournament.

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Women's bill won't let a male be elected to Lok Sabha: Mulayam

Samajwadi Party on Tuesday said not a single male would be elected to the Lok Sabha ten years after the Women's Reservation Bill came into force and advocated quota for the fair sex within political parties.
"Once the bill comes into force, not a single male would be elected to the Lok Sabha after ten years as elected women would not leave their seats, nor the political parties would be in a position to replace them," Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav said addressing a function to mark Ram Manohar Lohia's birth centenary here.

Advocating reservation for women within political parties instead, Yadav said it should be made mandatory for them to give 15 per cent tickets to women.
"If this limit is increased by few more per cent we have no objection over it," he said and termed the legislation passed in the Rajya Sabha as "an international conspiracy to ensure that not a single male member enters the Lok Sabha."
Also dubbing the bill as a conspiracy against Muslims, the SP leader said his party was not against reservation to women, but it was not ready to accept the bill in its present form.
He also alleged that the UPA "forcibly" presented the bill in Parliament to divert people's attention from the price rise issue.

"The country's situation is turning worse, but the central government is not ready to change its policies. The Women Reservation Bill was presented forcibly in the Rajya Sabha only to distract people's attention from price rise issue," he said.

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Dhoni lookalike Tiwary finds his own identity

Until 15 days ago, visiting a movie theatre for Saurabh Tiwary often entailed facing a number of wisecracks about him being a wannabe Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It is no secret that the Jamshedpur-based 20-year-old left-hander — whose straightened hair may seem passe for many Dhoni fans — has idolised Dhoni from the start of his career. But, as Tiwary himself admits, maybe he lost his own style along the way.

He scored 593 runs in the Ranji Trophy Plate Division at an average of 98.83, but it’s his 20-run cameos for the Mumbai Indians that are putting the left-hander in the spotlight — a fact the former under-19 World Cup winner is well aware of.

“You cannot compare IPL to domestic cricket because even if you score 20 runs in this tournament, it gets coverage,” said a nervous Tiwary as he faced up to scrutiny from the local media. Armed with three cell phones, Tiwary stuck to monosyllabic answers, except when he spoke about his captain — Sachin Tendulkar.

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Bomb in Kingfisher plane: Blame game begins

A debate regarding the security breach at the Bangalore International Airport due to which someone managed to plant a crude bomb on a Kingfisher Airlines [ Images ] aircraft from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram is on with the authorities blaming each other for the incident.

The Central Industrial Security Force, which is in charge of the airport's security, has blamed the airline officials for the incident while the airlines authorities blamed the CISF.

Senior CISF officials said it is the responsibility of the airlines to screen the baggage that gets into the cargo, while the CISF ensures that they screen the hand baggage manually at the departure lounge before the passengers board the aircraft.

On the other hand the cargo baggage undergoes an x-ray screening before it is loaded to the aircraft, an official told rediff.com.

Both CISF and BIA who conducted a review meeting on the incident have blamed the airline for the security breach stating that the security norms at the airport is in compliance with the regulations laid down by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.

Anti-sabotage checks are supposed to be conducted twice before an aircraft embarks. The anti-sabotage check is usually conducted in the mornings and in case of an early morning flight, its done the previous night and only after the check is conducted clearance is given to take-off.

"If such a check had been conducted properly, the explosive material could have been detected," said a CISF official.

Responding to the charges against them, the airline has said that flight IT 4731 being an ATR-72 aircraft does not have a cargo hold and the cargo compartment in the aircraft is located between its cockpit and the passenger cabin, and hence it is the responsibility of the airport operators to conduct any check.

"Shortly after Kingfisher Airlines flight IT 4731 landed in Thiruvananthapuram and after all the 27 guests on board had de planed, a routine security check was being carried out. During this security check, an unclaimed package was found. The matter was immediately reported to the authorities who removed the package from the aircraft, and as precautionary measure, the aircraft is being checked by the security agencies," a statement from the Kingfisher stated.

Airport officials said that there was no lapse on its side and that it is impossible to smuggle explosives into the aircraft and to then load it on to an aircraft.

Meanwhile, investigators are also looking into the aspect whether explosives wrapped in a Malayalam newspaper could have been sneaked into the aircraft after the aircraft landed in Thiruvananthapuram, considering that the checks had already been carried at the BIA.

ANI adds:

The Kerala government has constituted a high-level committee headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Jolly Cherian to probe the incident.

The state government has asked the security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and find out how the lapse took place at the airport.

Kerala Law Minister M Vijaykumar said, "It is a serious security lapse. We have directed the security agencies to look into this."

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US had informed India of Headley's plea bargain

The US administration had informed the Indian government before it finalized a deal with David Coleman Headley to change his plea to guilty, sources said.

Headley, born Daood Gilani, an American citizen of Pakistani origin told a Chicago court on Friday that he played a "key" role in the planning and execution of the horrific 26/11 Mumbai [ Images ] terror attack. What the changed plea does is save Headley from a near certain death sentence and any possibility of extradition to India [ Images ], where he committed his worst crimes.

However, according to sources in the government, what the plea of 'guilty' on all 12 counts for which Headley is charged by the US Justice Department also does is to ensure that India gets access to him and his testimony.

Headley also pleaded guilty to planning an attack on a Danish newspaper that published cartoons poking fun at Prophet Mohammad. While several security analysts disagree, informed sources in the Indian government said the plea bargain would ensure Headley's cooperation, and help India get details of the serving Pakistan army [ Images ] handlers of the 26/11 attackers.

India will be allowed to interrogate Headley, who is key to a "huge amount of information" that will help fill the missing pieces in India's case and unravel other aspects of the conspiracy. There is no sense of disappointment in the Indian government, the sources said, because Headley will now have to depose and India will, as part of the plea bargain, get access to the man.

"Access will give us an opportunity to get more information," Home Minister P Chidambaram [ Images ] said today, denying that the plea bargain was a "setback".

"Headley has agreed to testify and there is a good chance he will testify in proceedings when Indian authorities get to examine him either in court or through video-conferencing or through a Letter Rogatory (a formal communication to request testimony of a witness living in a foreign land). We have not given up our plea for extradition," Chidambaram clarified, although chances for such an eventuality are bleak, particularly given that India has not even formally charged Headley yet.
"Headley has agreed to fully and truthfully testify in any foreign judicial proceedings held in the US. We will continue to press for access to Headley in that he will testify in a court or subject himself to interrogation," Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram was briefed about the changed plea and its implications when Dennis Blair, Director of the US National Investigation Agency, visited him on Thursday. Timothy Roemer, US Ambassador to India, accompanied Blair.

What the changed plea also does is definitively nail Pakistan's involvement in the 26/11 carnage in which over 170 people, including six Americans, died. According to sources, the plea bargain is a warning to Pakistan, because India will gain access to hitherto unrevealed details, as well as a gesture to them, indicating to Islamabad [ Images ] that Washington is "on board" with their concerns.

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Uthappa blast inspires Bangalore to huge win

Chasing a stiff 172 for victory, Chennai finished on 135 for seven in their 20 overs with all-rounder Vinay Kumar taking four for 40 in four overs.

Uthappa, who was dropped on five and 19, changed the script dramatically in the last two overs as he smashed 68 from a mere 38 balls, having three boundaries and six sixes.

Muttiah Muralitharan [ Images ] took three for 25 in four overs before Uthappa's blast in the final overs took Royal Challengers Bangalore to a competitive 171 for five in their 20 overs.

Uthappa's innings proved to be the turning point as Bangalore scored 41 runs from the last two overs, hitting five sixes and a boundary from 12 deliveries to set Chennai a stiff target on a lively pitch.

This was Bangalore's fourth successive victory as they moved to the top of IPL with eight points, while Chennai have now lost two matches in a row.

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Unlike in their previous matches, Bangalore's opening duo, Jacques Kallis [ Images ] and Manish Pandey [ Images ], had a rather subdued shot with some streaky shot as the ball hit the edges more than the middle of the bat. The wicket seemed to offer some assistance to the fast bowlers as both batsmen were beaten by the bounce and movement a few times against the new ball.

Albie Morkel [ Images ] had a huge appeal for caught behind against the in-form Kallis turned down and replays showed that umpire Russel Tiffin had made the right decision.

Kallis made room and tried to hit Morkel through the off-side but his thick edge went to Lakshmipathy Balaji at the thirdman boundary who inexplicably lost the ball in the crowd as it went for a boundary. The very next ball he was beaten all ends up but his thick edge flew wide of the first slip for yet another boundary, in the third over.

Sudeep Tyagi [ Images ] bowled a tight fourth over, his second of the innings, giving away just two runs and Kallis looked to make up for it by trying to attack Balaji in the next over.

He hit Balaji for two boundaries off his first three deliveries but fell off the next delivery. Kallis shuffled across his stumps and tried to hit one over the leg side but missed and was bowled for 19 from 17 balls. It was the first time that Kallis was dismissed in IPL 3, after having scored 283 runs in five matches.

But Balaji suffered in his next over when he was hit for three boundaries. Dravid hit one over the mid-off fielder and then guided the next delivery wide of Matthew Hayden [ Images ] at first slip for back to back boundaries. Pandey then played the last delivery fine on the leg side for yet another boundary to take the total to 52 for one after seven overs.

Muttiah Muralitharan's introduction saw Chennai take control as he took two wickets in two overs. He struck in his very first over when he bowled Dravid for 14 as the batsman made room and tried to cut it through point.

Pandey fell in Muralitharan's next over after a sedate knock of 20 from 28 balls when he tried to slog sweep but was taken by Suresh Raina [ Images ] at mid-on as Bangalore were reduced to 67 for three after ten overs.

Muralitharan should have picked the wicket of Robin Uthappa (5) in his next over as the batsman attempted the switch hit but R Ashwin on the cover boundary dropped the easy catch. The Sri Lankan off-spinner then saw another opportunity going waste off his bowling when wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel [ Images ] missed an easy stumping as Kohli (18) charged down the wicket.

The very next delivery Muralitharan was further infuriated when Kohli slammed him over the mid-on fielder for a six. But two deliveries later Muralitharan had his revenge, when Kohli (24 from 16 balls) once again danced down the wicket but this time Patel collected the ball cleanly and whipped off the bails.

Muralitharan had once again made an important contribution with the ball, taking three for 25 in four overs, as Bangalore were reduced to 110 for four after 16 overs.

Chennai's sloppy fielding didn't help their bowlers at all as catches. Uthappa was dropped for the second time on 25, as the right-hander hit a full toss from Morkel straight to Vijay at long-on who grassed it.

But Morkel ensured Chennai kept chipping away at the wickets as he bowled Eoin Morgan [ Images ] for 1 with a full straight delivery to reduce the hosts to 119 for five after 17 overs.

Uthappa tried to attack every ball he faced, but even he was struggling to make an impact as boundaries were few and far in between.

But once he found his range, there was no stopping Uthappa as it rained sixes in Bangalore.

He walked down the wicket to Ashwin and despatched a full toss over midwicket for a six, in the 18th over to start Bangalore's comeback.

Uthappa then took Balaji to the cleaners as he hit the pacer for a boundary and three sixes in a row to give the innings a huge lift in the penultimate over.

The Bangalore youngster crashed a full delivery through covers for a boundary and then slammed one over midwicket for a huge six followed by a straight six down the ground to bring up his half-century from 32 deliveries. Balaji erred with his length yet again and Uthappa hit him straight down the ground for a huge six down the ground for 24 runs in the over.

In the last over bowled by Ashwin, it was Boucher's turn to make merry as he sent one over the long-on fence for his first six. Uthappa continued the fireworks when he hit Ashwin straight down the ground for yet another six as Bangalore finished on 171 for five in 20 overs.

Uthappa finished unbeaten on an amazing innings of 68 from just 38 balls, that was laced with six sixes and three boundaries, while Boucher was not out on 11.

Uthappa had single-handedly changed the game as he hit 39 runs from the ten deliveries he faced, hitting five sixes and a boundary during that period.

Chennai have only themselves to blame after dropping as many as three simple catches that eventually took a heavy toll in the closing stages.

Chennai Super Kings:

Bangalore got off to a dream start as Praveen Kumar [ Images ] struck in the first over of the innings. Chennai Super Kings opener Parthiv Patel edged behind an outgoing delivery that moved quite a bit to be caught behind for 1.

With the ball bouncing and moving around, even Matthew Hayden was finding it difficult to play his strokes. He got the first boundary of the innings when he walked down the wicket to Dale Steyn [ Images ] and smashed a full delivery through covers for a boundary and then got one in Kumar's next over.

Anil Kumble [ Images ] conceded just one run in his first over as Chennai struggled to 22 for one after five overs, having hit just two boundaries.

George Bailey took time to get going and got his first boundary off the 13th ball he faced when he cut a short delivery from Kallis through the point region, in the sixth over.

Kumble continued bowling miserly as he gave away just four runs in his second over as Hayden realised that it was time to go on the attack and he called for the Mini Mongoose bat. It was Kallis, who suffered at the hands of the Mongoose bat, as Hayden slammed him for three boundaries in a row to get the innings going as Chennai reached 46 for one after eight overs.

Rahul Dravid [ Images ] doused any hopes Chennai had of winning the match when he ran out Hayden with a direct hit from the cover region. Hayden, who made 32 from 28 balls, was Chennai's last hope of overhauling the huge target after their disastrous start but he was caught short after being sent back by Bailey.

Bailey's struggle also ended in the same over when he was caught behind off Vinay Kumar for a painstaking innings of 18 from 27 balls as Chennai were reduced to 61 for three at the halfway stage.

Captain Suresh Raina showed some intent when he pulled Kumar for a big six over square leg. However, it was the bowler, who had the last laugh when he had Raina caught at the thirdman boundary off a thick edge for nine, in the 12th over.

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Designers see an extravagant affair

REPUBLICA

As Nilima Maden walked the stage, the cheers and applauses on her victory echoed the hall at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza Saturday evening.

As the winner of the Republica IEC (Indian Education Center) Designer Contest 2010, she couldn’t express her happiness.



“I’m so nervous,” said the elated winner, who won the best design under one of the themes titled “Paradise Lost”. Her design, a dramatic one-shouldered white Victorian gown, helped her win the title. She was presented with an LG Chocolate mobile phone, which was launched at the function.

As the models walked the ramp, cameras flashed, supporters cheered and fashion commentators criticized and observed the 138 designs by IEC students currently pursuing Bachelor and Diploma programs in fashion designing. Their creations were categorized under 18 themes ranging from “Hey, it’s official,” a roundup of office wear, to the tribal African prints in “Amazonian Delight,” the 1960’s fashion in “The Golden ‘60s” and winter wear in “Snowbird.”
Nilima Maden and her winning design.

Keshav Thoker


A mixed bag of designs mostly evening dresses, the contest showcased different dimensions of the Nepali fashion industry. Most of the designs had similar cuts, style and the color schemes.

“Due to the lack of fabrics in the market, designers cannot play with their imagination. Most of the designs were limited to textiles such as stain, chiffon and georgette,” commented Khusboo Dangol, a young fashion designer and a judge for the contest.

Sahana Bajracharya, an audience member, said, “There was a lot of stuff in one design, which instead of accentuating the apparels overshadowed them.”

Dangol shared a similar opinion. Details such as frills and ruffles eclipsed the designs.



Bajracharya, however noted that fashion events in the capital are gradually improving over the years.

Zenisha Moktan, Miss Nepal 2009 and a judge for the evening, said contests like these create opportunities and provide good platform for amateur designers and emerging artists.

Of the other judges were Shova Gyawali, the director of Nepal Republic Media, Upendra Poudyal, the chief executive officer of NMB Bank, sportspersons Deepak Bista and Paras Khadka, fashion designer Tarunika Mahato and actress Arunima Lamsal.

Read more...


Designers see an extravagant affair

REPUBLICA

As Nilima Maden walked the stage, the cheers and applauses on her victory echoed the hall at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza Saturday evening.

As the winner of the Republica IEC (Indian Education Center) Designer Contest 2010, she couldn’t express her happiness.



“I’m so nervous,” said the elated winner, who won the best design under one of the themes titled “Paradise Lost”. Her design, a dramatic one-shouldered white Victorian gown, helped her win the title. She was presented with an LG Chocolate mobile phone, which was launched at the function.

As the models walked the ramp, cameras flashed, supporters cheered and fashion commentators criticized and observed the 138 designs by IEC students currently pursuing Bachelor and Diploma programs in fashion designing. Their creations were categorized under 18 themes ranging from “Hey, it’s official,” a roundup of office wear, to the tribal African prints in “Amazonian Delight,” the 1960’s fashion in “The Golden ‘60s” and winter wear in “Snowbird.”
Nilima Maden and her winning design.

Keshav Thoker


A mixed bag of designs mostly evening dresses, the contest showcased different dimensions of the Nepali fashion industry. Most of the designs had similar cuts, style and the color schemes.

“Due to the lack of fabrics in the market, designers cannot play with their imagination. Most of the designs were limited to textiles such as stain, chiffon and georgette,” commented Khusboo Dangol, a young fashion designer and a judge for the contest.

Sahana Bajracharya, an audience member, said, “There was a lot of stuff in one design, which instead of accentuating the apparels overshadowed them.”

Dangol shared a similar opinion. Details such as frills and ruffles eclipsed the designs.



Bajracharya, however noted that fashion events in the capital are gradually improving over the years.

Zenisha Moktan, Miss Nepal 2009 and a judge for the evening, said contests like these create opportunities and provide good platform for amateur designers and emerging artists.

Of the other judges were Shova Gyawali, the director of Nepal Republic Media, Upendra Poudyal, the chief executive officer of NMB Bank, sportspersons Deepak Bista and Paras Khadka, fashion designer Tarunika Mahato and actress Arunima Lamsal.

Read more...

Prabal Gurung: In the fashion world

Not many people in Nepal know who Prabal Gurung is. More importantly, even the ones who have heard his name in passing may not know what it is that he does, exactly. Prabal doesn’t mind. He is humble and accepts that the road he is walking on has long ways to go still. At $300 for a simple top, to $10,000 plus for dresses and gowns, that haute couture road doesn’t really run through Kathmandu, Nepal in any case.



In short, Prabal is the Creative Director & CEO of his self-titled New York based fashion line Prabal Gurung. He is a rising star in the fashion industry in the fashion capital of the world. His brand, less than a year old, already sell alongside iconic fashion houses like Oscar De La Renta, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino, in luxury stores like Bloomingdales (New York and South Coast Plaza) and DNA (Riydah) amongst others, while his Spring 2010 collection is going to be available in more outlets of this category.

“Nothing in life is just coincidence,” Prabal insists, sitting inside a café on a cool fall evening in New York’s Lower East Side. It is easy to see why he feels so strongly about it; to him he is a living testament. Establishing a high-end fashion house in New York is no easy feat by any means. “And it may only look simple because I enjoy doing it so much,” he explains. Agreed.

When asked to explain what the New York Times review meant when they noted the ‘tailoring’ in his first season (February 2009), Prabal happily launches into a fairly complex explanation that involves meticulous mathematical equations which would basically result in a product that could elicit the kind of observation The Times made. Neither his level of enthusiasm nor the technical facet of his answers waver when asked about the ‘draping’ The Times complimented in review of his Spring 2010 collection, or about how luxury brands price their products.

Inside this jeans, t-shirt and sneakers wearing young designer with a laid back persona is also a geeky accountant and a perfectionist relentlessly working towards a dream.



The Cautionary Tale

“I was a cautionary tale in Kathmandu,” Prabal says, somewhat still amused. Not hard to imagine: after all, he was a young man in a high school in Nepal in the 1990s who wanted to grow up to be a fashion designer and loved to party.

“But I always knew what I wanted to do.”

Still, even in his late adolescent years, Prabal had been questioned about his ‘life plans.’ At one social gathering in Nepal, someone asked him what he “really” wanted to do with his life, and not just this “hobby” of his.

Does he feel vindicated now?

“It doesn’t even matter.”

It doesn’t.

For Nepalis, it is a natural tendency to immediately look at Prabal, or any one who achieves success and happens to be of Nepali heritage, in a purely Nepali context. On top of that, with Prabal, not only is he the only Nepali to achieve this level of success, but also this kind of success.

Still, Prabal is not a Nepali designer. He is a designer who happens to be Nepali. His success did not stem out of his nationality, rather his nationality only became relevant to Nepalis precisely because of what he has achieved professionally.

What Prabal is, is a world-class designer with an astute sense of business. He has ambitions and plans out how he hopes to achieve them, and while he is very careful he is not scared to make mistakes.

“I knew going to New York could have easily been a mistake,” he recalls of the time when he decided he would leave his career in India and go to the prestigious Parsons school for design at The New School University in New York. “But it would have been my mistake and I could live with that.”

At the time, he had already studied at New Delhi’s National Institute of Fashion Technology, and worked on major design projects in India, traveling to other countries for work. When he met the famous Delhi-based Indian designer Manish Arora, he had hoped to intern with him but ended up taking up a job offer.

“I could have launched my own brand in India at that time, but I knew it wasn’t the kind of designing work I wanted to do,” he adds. Parsons, he knew, could eventually enable him to do the kind of designing work that he did want to do.

The Rise of the Intern

In New York, landing an internship can be a brutally fierce competition between fashion students from the city’s friendly rival fashion schools -- Parsons and Fashion Institute of Technology. Prabal won one such competition almost immediately after starting at Parsons in 1999. He meticulously packaged his application and included everything he thought would give him an edge over other applicants– he wasn’t taking chances because Donna Karan wanted only one intern. “Internship is a very important and humbling experience,” he adds, still pleased with his own experiences. When his internship ended, they gave him several boxes full of fabrics as a parting gift.

“These were the best possible fabrics around, expensive stuff, and I used them all the way up to my final designs at Parsons,” he explains.

At Parsons, Prabal excelled in all classes. The school website’s alumni page proudly lists: “Prabal Gurung, 2000, AAS Fashion Design. Named best designer in the Fusion show his senior year, he joined Cynthia Rowley’s design house at her request.”

Soon enough, he was Design Director at the legendary American fashion house, Bill Blass. When they shut down in December 2008, Prabal was well into his next move.

Prabal Gurung, The Brand

“I knew that 2009 was the year I wanted to launch my line. In my head that had been the plan all along,” the designer explains. It is pointless to guess otherwise. In February 2009 -- two months after Bill Blass closed -- Prabal launched his line -- Prabal Gurung, at the New York Fashion Week. Fashion critics loved his collection.

On April 30 earlier this year, actresses Demi Moore and Rachel Weisz both wore a Prabal Gurung dress each to the Cartier 100th Anniversary in America Celebration at Cartier Fifth Avenue Mansion, New York.

In June, Demi Moore wore yet another Prabal Gurung dress, this time in Paris for the launch of her fragrance Wanted. On her twitter page, she wrote “wonderful young designer to look out for Prabal Gurung!”

Prabal Gurung showed its Spring 2010 collection on the first day of the New York Fashion Week, on September 10 last month. When Women’s Wear Daily asked him what his plans were for after the Fashion Week, he was quoted as saying “to sell a lot.” Looks like things are going his way in that department -- a feat on its own considering the fact that on many occasions, designers show for two seasons or more and still fail to secure distributors.



The Product of Love (and Planning)

The Fashion industry, a multi-billion dollar money machine, is just that – a money machine. Yet, when Prabal finally decided to launch his line in Spring 2009, he could call up people he had known and worked with over the years and “without any question” they joined his team.

Goodwill, however, isn’t the only thing Prabal saved up on during his years in New York. Prabal Gurung, the high-couture fashion line, was completely funded by its namesake founder’s own earnings.

“I am a product of the love and support of the industry,” Prabal says. “They were all waiting for me to do this, they knew I would, and that I could,” he explains of industry insiders who have been familiar with his work for a long time.

His pressures of his position in the industry today do not seem to burden Prabal. Nor does he seem particularly worried about the process to reach his bigger dreams.
For a young man who is just in the first year of his own fashion line that every major fashion and luxury publication (Harper’s, Vogue, Elle, Style to name a few) from New York to Milan and London to Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong wants to write about, he is relaxed with a sense of being in control of the situation. He isn’t, however, over confident.

“Look this is New York, it’s the fashion world,” he explains sipping through a straw a canned coke poured into a glass half filled with ice cubes. “There have been tons of designers who come in for a season or two, and then disappear. All this can go as fast as it comes.”

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Prabal Gurung: In the fashion world

Not many people in Nepal know who Prabal Gurung is. More importantly, even the ones who have heard his name in passing may not know what it is that he does, exactly. Prabal doesn’t mind. He is humble and accepts that the road he is walking on has long ways to go still. At $300 for a simple top, to $10,000 plus for dresses and gowns, that haute couture road doesn’t really run through Kathmandu, Nepal in any case.



In short, Prabal is the Creative Director & CEO of his self-titled New York based fashion line Prabal Gurung. He is a rising star in the fashion industry in the fashion capital of the world. His brand, less than a year old, already sell alongside iconic fashion houses like Oscar De La Renta, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino, in luxury stores like Bloomingdales (New York and South Coast Plaza) and DNA (Riydah) amongst others, while his Spring 2010 collection is going to be available in more outlets of this category.

“Nothing in life is just coincidence,” Prabal insists, sitting inside a café on a cool fall evening in New York’s Lower East Side. It is easy to see why he feels so strongly about it; to him he is a living testament. Establishing a high-end fashion house in New York is no easy feat by any means. “And it may only look simple because I enjoy doing it so much,” he explains. Agreed.

When asked to explain what the New York Times review meant when they noted the ‘tailoring’ in his first season (February 2009), Prabal happily launches into a fairly complex explanation that involves meticulous mathematical equations which would basically result in a product that could elicit the kind of observation The Times made. Neither his level of enthusiasm nor the technical facet of his answers waver when asked about the ‘draping’ The Times complimented in review of his Spring 2010 collection, or about how luxury brands price their products.

Inside this jeans, t-shirt and sneakers wearing young designer with a laid back persona is also a geeky accountant and a perfectionist relentlessly working towards a dream.



The Cautionary Tale

“I was a cautionary tale in Kathmandu,” Prabal says, somewhat still amused. Not hard to imagine: after all, he was a young man in a high school in Nepal in the 1990s who wanted to grow up to be a fashion designer and loved to party.

“But I always knew what I wanted to do.”

Still, even in his late adolescent years, Prabal had been questioned about his ‘life plans.’ At one social gathering in Nepal, someone asked him what he “really” wanted to do with his life, and not just this “hobby” of his.

Does he feel vindicated now?

“It doesn’t even matter.”

It doesn’t.

For Nepalis, it is a natural tendency to immediately look at Prabal, or any one who achieves success and happens to be of Nepali heritage, in a purely Nepali context. On top of that, with Prabal, not only is he the only Nepali to achieve this level of success, but also this kind of success.

Still, Prabal is not a Nepali designer. He is a designer who happens to be Nepali. His success did not stem out of his nationality, rather his nationality only became relevant to Nepalis precisely because of what he has achieved professionally.

What Prabal is, is a world-class designer with an astute sense of business. He has ambitions and plans out how he hopes to achieve them, and while he is very careful he is not scared to make mistakes.

“I knew going to New York could have easily been a mistake,” he recalls of the time when he decided he would leave his career in India and go to the prestigious Parsons school for design at The New School University in New York. “But it would have been my mistake and I could live with that.”

At the time, he had already studied at New Delhi’s National Institute of Fashion Technology, and worked on major design projects in India, traveling to other countries for work. When he met the famous Delhi-based Indian designer Manish Arora, he had hoped to intern with him but ended up taking up a job offer.

“I could have launched my own brand in India at that time, but I knew it wasn’t the kind of designing work I wanted to do,” he adds. Parsons, he knew, could eventually enable him to do the kind of designing work that he did want to do.

The Rise of the Intern

In New York, landing an internship can be a brutally fierce competition between fashion students from the city’s friendly rival fashion schools -- Parsons and Fashion Institute of Technology. Prabal won one such competition almost immediately after starting at Parsons in 1999. He meticulously packaged his application and included everything he thought would give him an edge over other applicants– he wasn’t taking chances because Donna Karan wanted only one intern. “Internship is a very important and humbling experience,” he adds, still pleased with his own experiences. When his internship ended, they gave him several boxes full of fabrics as a parting gift.

“These were the best possible fabrics around, expensive stuff, and I used them all the way up to my final designs at Parsons,” he explains.

At Parsons, Prabal excelled in all classes. The school website’s alumni page proudly lists: “Prabal Gurung, 2000, AAS Fashion Design. Named best designer in the Fusion show his senior year, he joined Cynthia Rowley’s design house at her request.”

Soon enough, he was Design Director at the legendary American fashion house, Bill Blass. When they shut down in December 2008, Prabal was well into his next move.

Prabal Gurung, The Brand

“I knew that 2009 was the year I wanted to launch my line. In my head that had been the plan all along,” the designer explains. It is pointless to guess otherwise. In February 2009 -- two months after Bill Blass closed -- Prabal launched his line -- Prabal Gurung, at the New York Fashion Week. Fashion critics loved his collection.

On April 30 earlier this year, actresses Demi Moore and Rachel Weisz both wore a Prabal Gurung dress each to the Cartier 100th Anniversary in America Celebration at Cartier Fifth Avenue Mansion, New York.

In June, Demi Moore wore yet another Prabal Gurung dress, this time in Paris for the launch of her fragrance Wanted. On her twitter page, she wrote “wonderful young designer to look out for Prabal Gurung!”

Prabal Gurung showed its Spring 2010 collection on the first day of the New York Fashion Week, on September 10 last month. When Women’s Wear Daily asked him what his plans were for after the Fashion Week, he was quoted as saying “to sell a lot.” Looks like things are going his way in that department -- a feat on its own considering the fact that on many occasions, designers show for two seasons or more and still fail to secure distributors.



The Product of Love (and Planning)

The Fashion industry, a multi-billion dollar money machine, is just that – a money machine. Yet, when Prabal finally decided to launch his line in Spring 2009, he could call up people he had known and worked with over the years and “without any question” they joined his team.

Goodwill, however, isn’t the only thing Prabal saved up on during his years in New York. Prabal Gurung, the high-couture fashion line, was completely funded by its namesake founder’s own earnings.

“I am a product of the love and support of the industry,” Prabal says. “They were all waiting for me to do this, they knew I would, and that I could,” he explains of industry insiders who have been familiar with his work for a long time.

His pressures of his position in the industry today do not seem to burden Prabal. Nor does he seem particularly worried about the process to reach his bigger dreams.
For a young man who is just in the first year of his own fashion line that every major fashion and luxury publication (Harper’s, Vogue, Elle, Style to name a few) from New York to Milan and London to Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong wants to write about, he is relaxed with a sense of being in control of the situation. He isn’t, however, over confident.

“Look this is New York, it’s the fashion world,” he explains sipping through a straw a canned coke poured into a glass half filled with ice cubes. “There have been tons of designers who come in for a season or two, and then disappear. All this can go as fast as it comes.”

Read more...

SEE, MEET, TASTE
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NYC – March 23-25 10-7 pm
Ethical designer Christopher Raeburn is showing at LONDON show ROOMS – NYC. The event, initiated by the British Fashion Council takes London's leading emerging fashion talents to New York for three press and buyer days, in partnership with Centre for Fashion Enterprise. This aims to increase their presence and develop their media coverage and businesses in the USA. Location is Penthouse Lofts, Soho Grand, 310 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013.

London - March 25 7-9 pm
This month Ethical Fashion Forum partners with Foundation Agency and Fairtrade Foundation to address 'Fashion Changing Lives'. Explore the business potential of working with fairtrade communties, including a best practice example on Pachacuti; the first Fair Trade company in the world to complete the Pilot for the new World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) certification and labelling scheme. Location: Old Street, Shoreditch. Eco Cuisine will be providing a small amount of canapes for you to sample. See more details and RSVP on Ethical Fashion Network.

NYC – March 31 6:30-9 pm
Wine and sexy vegan desserts during the book launch of ‘Eco-Sex: Go green between the sheets and make your love life sustainable’. Meet author Stefanie Iris Weiss at Sustainable NYC on 139 Avenue A at 9th St. Shop green and hear about more events to come online.

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INDUSTRY NEWS
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From February 28th to March 2nd, C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestye and Sustainable Synergy) launched its latest initiative “Selection by C.L.A.S.S.” This exhibition space, inaugurated at the White trade fair (inside the new, more spacious location for White, the Ex-Ansaldo in Via Tortona 54) showcased the following exhibitors: Borrello & Co., d. by asap – as sustainable as possible, Daad&Daad, Fa-Ma Jersey, Fashion Helmet, Luca della Lama, Mori-Mondo, Redesign the World by Cornelia Bamert and Rizieri. “Selection by C.L.A.S.S.” has shown that a new way to “do a trade fair” – where design, innovation and responsibility coexisting in perfect harmony – is really possible. Visit the website to learn more about this initiative!

On 23 February 2010, the third update of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan published at the 4th multi-stakeholder conference in London. As part of Defra's Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) programme, 10 product roadmaps are in development to reduce the environmental and social impacts across the life cycle of a range of priority products – one of which is clothing.Please view the website for conference proceedings and to learn more about the Sustainable Clothing Roadmap.

Read more...

SEE, MEET, TASTE
christopher_raeburn1.jpg

NYC – March 23-25 10-7 pm
Ethical designer Christopher Raeburn is showing at LONDON show ROOMS – NYC. The event, initiated by the British Fashion Council takes London's leading emerging fashion talents to New York for three press and buyer days, in partnership with Centre for Fashion Enterprise. This aims to increase their presence and develop their media coverage and businesses in the USA. Location is Penthouse Lofts, Soho Grand, 310 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013.

London - March 25 7-9 pm
This month Ethical Fashion Forum partners with Foundation Agency and Fairtrade Foundation to address 'Fashion Changing Lives'. Explore the business potential of working with fairtrade communties, including a best practice example on Pachacuti; the first Fair Trade company in the world to complete the Pilot for the new World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) certification and labelling scheme. Location: Old Street, Shoreditch. Eco Cuisine will be providing a small amount of canapes for you to sample. See more details and RSVP on Ethical Fashion Network.

NYC – March 31 6:30-9 pm
Wine and sexy vegan desserts during the book launch of ‘Eco-Sex: Go green between the sheets and make your love life sustainable’. Meet author Stefanie Iris Weiss at Sustainable NYC on 139 Avenue A at 9th St. Shop green and hear about more events to come online.

Read more...

INDUSTRY NEWS
industry_news1.jpg

From February 28th to March 2nd, C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestye and Sustainable Synergy) launched its latest initiative “Selection by C.L.A.S.S.” This exhibition space, inaugurated at the White trade fair (inside the new, more spacious location for White, the Ex-Ansaldo in Via Tortona 54) showcased the following exhibitors: Borrello & Co., d. by asap – as sustainable as possible, Daad&Daad, Fa-Ma Jersey, Fashion Helmet, Luca della Lama, Mori-Mondo, Redesign the World by Cornelia Bamert and Rizieri. “Selection by C.L.A.S.S.” has shown that a new way to “do a trade fair” – where design, innovation and responsibility coexisting in perfect harmony – is really possible. Visit the website to learn more about this initiative!

On 23 February 2010, the third update of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan published at the 4th multi-stakeholder conference in London. As part of Defra's Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) programme, 10 product roadmaps are in development to reduce the environmental and social impacts across the life cycle of a range of priority products – one of which is clothing.Please view the website for conference proceedings and to learn more about the Sustainable Clothing Roadmap.

Read more...

SWISS GREENS
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The third edition of the Green Fashion Switzerland took place on the 12th of February during the Natur Gala at the Music Theater Basel. I made my way to the event despite the rain and the freezing weather but it was definitely worth it! A lot has changed since the first Green Fashion Switzerland back in 2008. I remember it quite well because it was the first eco fashion fair I ever attended during my research on ethical fashion in Switzerland. It was a great platform (still is!) to get an initial insight into the green fashion movement and learn that so much is being done in Switzerland. However the old location was a bit small and crowded, and although the fashion show was really nice, I thought the glamour factor was missing.

Definitely not so this year! The Green Fashion Switzerland 2010 at the Music Theater Basel was a glamorous evening full of beautiful clothes, emotions, good music and especially a great show! Showing more than 20 Swiss and international brands, the Green Fashion Switzerland stayed loyal to its roots by presenting a great mix of models and incredible dancers. The fashion show started off with the Swiss pioneer Naturaline, who surprised me with basics in nice looking fabrics and fresh colors. The dresses by the Swedish designer Gudrun Sjödén made me wish for spring; and Switcher, another Swiss pioneer also managed to surprise me with its most fashionable basics yet. Innovation was clearly one of the main themes in this year’s events. “PET goes fashion” was presented together with the shopping platform 7skygreenroom. Many brands like Patagonia, Zimtstern, Nike Considered presented very stylish snowboard outfits made of more than 50% recycled PET. But my personal highlight was this year’s cooperation with EcoChic Geneva. The “best-of” collection of Eco-Chic included elegant and sexy evening gowns by Noir, *Magdalena Schaffrin, Beatriz Canedo Patiño and FIN among others. I’m proud that the Swiss ethical industry is becoming so fashionable and I’m definitely looking forward to next year’s Green Fashion Switzerland!


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UPCOMING EVENTS
josemiguelvaldivia1.jpgDo you want to buy or learn more about the latest textile innovations? Check out these textile fairs around the world.

March 15-17, 2010 - LA International Textiles Show
Known as "the largest, one-stop textile, design & production showcase in the U.S.", Organic Exchange will be exhibiting at this show to reach-out to a new market segment. Heidi McCloskey will be presenting 'Current and Future Trends in Textile Sustainability' in conjunction with Lenzing on Tuesday, March 16 at 1:00pm.

March 19-21, 2010 - D&A Los Angeles
Stick around in LA a little bit longer to see how designers translate fabrics into fashions.

March 17-19, 2010 - Interstoff Asia - Hong Kong
The leading trade show for textiles and functional fabrics in Asia in the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong.

March 18, 2010 - Planet Textiles - Hong Kong
A new international event jointly organised by Ecotextile News, Messe Frankfurt and the Society of Dyers and Colourists. Dedicated to improving the environmental and social impact of the global textile and clothing supply chain, it is supported by leading industry organisations and international clothing retailers.

March 24-27, 2010 - Bremen International Cotton Conference - Bremen, Germany
The presentations of the 30th Conference range from cotton trade, economics and managing the global crisis to the future of cotton and cotton textiles and perspectives in cotton production.

April 28-30, 2010 - PeruModa - Lima, Peru
This is the main fashion event of the Peruvian fashion industry.

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THIS WEEK'S MUST BUY
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Few items are as versatile as the shirt dress especially during those tricky in-between-season months. The shirtdress is perfect to wear loosely over jeans layered under Bibico knits. With heels and some big bracelets, even a simple organic cotton shirtdress can become a sexy evening outfit. I can't stop wearing my DeuxFM and Loyaleshirt dresses and love to share these pieces with you.naturevsfuture.jpg

Easy, breezy, laid-back style is what the organic cotton Eddie is all about. Cute puffed sleeves and dropped waist pockets add interest to the fun, preppy style. Wear it to lunch, shopping, anywhere you want to look casually put together. Available in a bold black and white check (shown) and a light blue stripe. $106 at www.shopmoxsie.com. (The link doesn’t take you right to the dresses. The black and white is in the second row on the far right and the light blue stripe is in the first row, third one over. Just click the thumbnails for details.)

Loose fitting and comfortable, this silk shirt dress is ideal for work or play. The large sleeves roll up for a casual feel while the single pocket and same style sash keep it looking crisp. The color is wonderful for spring, and I love the contrast on the inner collar. $288 at www.rogannyc.com.rogannyc.jpg

A mod take on a classic style and a NaturevsFuture classic, this 100% organic cotton dress gets all buttoned up in asymmetrical fashion. The look has been featured in Italian Vogue. $278 at www.naturevsfuture.com.


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NO WATER SUCKS
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This month Quiksilver and Roxy are joining forces to promote the message No Water Sucks, a Europe-wide campaign aimed at protecting our water resources. On both the Quicksilver and Roxy website internet-users are invited to post their pictures illus¬trating ‘a lack of water.’ Th winning picture will be the one that garners the most votes from other internet-users in a one-click voting system. The winner will receive two cheques of €1000 each, one of which will be fully donated to one of the three charities the winner will have selected. For every photo posted on the websites, Quiksilver and Roxy pledge to replant a tree.

Alongside the eco products that make up an integral part of the Quiksilver and Roxy collection, a limited series of T-shirts and bracelets bearing the No Water Sucks slogan will be available in Quiksil¬ver Stores. For every eco-product sold during the campaign, one euro will be donated to support three water protection projects run in partnership with Save Your Logo*.

The eco products in the Quiksilver and Roxy collections are distinctive by their recycled label tags that feature green versions of both the Quiksilver and Roxy logos. The products are mainly made out of organic cotton or recycled polyester. When a product is developed, its impact on the environment is taken into account throughout its lifestyle. For a Roxy or Quiksilver product to be classed as an eco-design it must be simple, durable and made out of environmentally friendly materials. The product must also be shipped to stores by river or land based transport. At the end of its life, it can be returned to a Quiksilver Store for recycling and the lifecycle starts again.

*Save Your Logo is a program of endowment fund for biodiversity which involves various brands whose logos symbolise natural elements (Mountain/Wave). These brands are encouraged to preserve those elements which have contributed to their success.

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FUR IS NOT GREEN
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No this is not a funky bracelet or other piece of jewellery, it is a trap. To catch and kill animals for their fur. Which seems to be a hip and sustainable thing to do according to the “Fur is Green” campaign by The Fur Council of Canada. It’s really not worth the rebuttal, but I just can’t help but comment on their anything but transparent campaign.

The whole process of turning an animal into a fur coat or trim is extremely energy intensive. It involves soaking, washing, fleshing, turning, tanning, extraction, wringing, drying, cleaning, plucking, shearing, trimming, shaving, buffing, drying and finishing. Don’t forget about all of the chemical treatments necessary to keep pelts from decaying or collecting fleas! Plus, it’s a global product that relies on fossil fuels to be transported all over the world. And if you already own a fur, the industry recommends you store it in a temperature-controlled vault during the warm summer warms.

The fur industry knows this whole campaign is a farce. In their own recent publications, they admitted that China, the largest manufacturer of fur products and textiles made with fur, was considering imposing an extremely punitive Value Added Tax on fur dressers and tanneries because they are considered “industries causing excessive pollution”.

Animals killed for their fur come from the wild or fur farms. The trapping and removing of millions of wildlife from the wild is very disruptive to our eco-system. Animals are not chosen because they are "surplus", weak, sick or diseased. They are killed because they happen to be the 10 or 12 species that have nice, thick fur that will sell at auction. Traps cannot distinguish endangered species from non-endangered ones. There is no sign for endangered animals, like eagles or swift foxes, to warn them: "Hey, if you are an endangered species do not step here."

Fur farms are no better. Animals such as minks and foxes are often raised on large-scale operations for their fur. Animal waste, runoff, water consumption, transportation, housing materials/lighting and feed crops are also extremely energy intensive.

Claiming that fur and fur-trimmed products are "green", "ecological", or "environmental" is the equivalent of saying, “have a nice day”. There are no restrictions or regulations on using these terms and the fur industry has no independent endorsement or certification of its’ so-called commitment to the environment or “eco” practices. Fur is not a fabric. It is an unnecessary and cruel product. It is skin ripped off a once breathing, feeling animal. There is nothing "green" or "ecological" about cruelty.

Lesley Fox is the Executive Director for the non-profit anti-fur group, Fur-Bearer Defenders .

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