Chief Designer of Johnny Hates Jazz hopes to expand market to Asia and U.S.This is the first of a series of articles on up-and-coming South Korean designers. ― Ed.It has been a while since the fashion savvy girls in South Korea first started to recognize Johnny Hates Jazz. The brand’s hip but classy collections are attracting not only so-called fashionistas like actress Gong Hyo-jin but also many

A 15,000-carats raw emerald which weights five pounds, is shown at the 'Minergemas 2011', an international mining and precious stones and metals in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, June 17, 2011. The emerald was found 12 years ago in Muzo, 75 kilometers north of Bogota, and is shown for the first time in Colombia, one of the world's largest emerald producers. (AP-Yonhap News)A massive uncut emerald on ex

In this June 10, 2011 photo, entertainer Debbie Reynolds poses between dresses worn by actress Marilyn Monroe in the films "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," left, and "River of No Return," right, at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, Calif. Pieces in Reynolds' extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia will be put up for auction at the Paley Center. AP-Yonhap NewsLOS ANGELES (AFP) – The leg

MEXICO CITY (AP) ― “Narco Polo” is the new fashion trend sweeping lower-class neighborhoods in Mexico, inspired by seven high-ranking drug traffickers who were arrested over a three-month stretch wearing open-neck, short-sleeved jerseys with the familiar horseman-with-a-stick emblem.The polo shirts are becoming ubiquitous in street vendors’ stalls from the drug-war-ravaged state of Tamaulipas to t

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― The iconic black and red jacket worn by Michael Jackson in his “Thriller” video is to go under the hammer at a two-day Music Icons Exhibition in Beverly Hills.The jacket is among 600 items that will go on sale at Julien’s Auction Gallery, including memorabilia from musicians such as The Beatles, Madonna and Lady Gaga, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and Justin Bieber on June 25 and 26.Jac

On the day of Floating Island’s international debut, 200 protest fur fashion show at the latest Seoul landmarkWith only a small bridge in between, two totally different worlds unfolded in the Banpo area in southern Seoul on Thursday night. On the Floating Island on the Han River, the venue of FENDI’s fashion show, about 1,000 guests chatted pleasantly over cocktails. Just a few hundred meters away

SINGAPORE ― If you are searching for blazing sun, beautiful beaches and great scenery for your summer holiday but have overlooked Singapore, it’s time to reconsider.With the opening of Universal Studios last week, the Resort World Sentosa on Sentosa Island off Singapore, is now transformed into an international leisure complex, aiming to attract more than 600,000 visitors annually. The Lost WorldT

Animal rights group protests against FENDI's fashion show at the Han River Floating Island which will feature fur items Thursday evening. (Yonhap News)Chaos is expected at FENDI’s fashion show in Seoul on Thursday evening as animal rights groups gear up for a large-scale protest. Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth announced that it will hold a protest at 5:30 p.m. at Hangang Park, across a brid

NEW YORK (AP) ― Forget the pear-vs.-apple and curvy-vs.-curveless shape charts for a minute. There’s another divide in the two-piece swimwear discussion: What if you actually have to get up and move around instead of lying on the chaise with a cool drink in hand?The runway swimsuits and magazine-shoot bikinis, with their thin straps, triangle bottoms, decorative hardware and high ratio of white fa

Stainless steel appliances. They’re eye-pleasing, sleek and darned near a cliche these days.But that ubiquity means a lot of people are wrestling with the same problem: how to keep stainless steel clean, ward off scratches and keep a notoriously touchy surface factory-fresh.Deservedly or not, stainless steel has picked up a reputation as something of a dirt magnet.“It is a surface that requires a

Manager says Taiwan’s first W hotel aims to exceed 45 percent occupancy rate this yearTAIPEI ― In the bustling central business district of Xinyi in Taipei, W Taipei hotel encased in radiant glass stands tall not far from the iconic 101 Tower which shoots up more than 500 meters into the sky.Arriving at the first W hotel in Taiwan, a large stainless steel installation called “The Chain” is seen, w

‘Korean chic’ gains attention overseas via YouTube and makeup brandsWith Girl’s Generation’s bubbly song “Snowy Wish” running in the background, a Thai girl with the YouTube ID onnbaby demonstrates how to pull off the “Korean flawless look.” “I have seen lots of people doing Korean makeup styles and yes, I am now doing one of them too!” she says. The basic steps she points out are ― one, clean and

Weddings put on hold as salons close earlyTUNIS (AFP) ― A flash blow wave but no time for a wash, a quick eyebrow shaping, rushed facials or a hurried massage: anxious women dart in and out of Tunis’ beauty salons before the nightly curfew descends.Used to staying open until 10 pm or 11 pm to doll up clients for parties or late-night weddings, the salons now empty out early as everyone rushes to g